


Promises of the Dim Sun

by OuchieOuch



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Beta Wanted, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Evil Rhea (Fire Emblem), F/M, Fluff and Angst, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pokemon Ranger: Vatonage | Shadows of Almia, Pokemon References, Post-Time Skip, Post-War, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, This will be long, Unrequited Love, guys just bear with me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26570533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OuchieOuch/pseuds/OuchieOuch
Summary: In Imperial Year 91, Fodlan nearly saw its destruction when the Shadow Crystal's power covered the skies in a blanket of eternal night. Lead by the Shadow Queen, Seiros, the Agarthans sought to make the Dim Sun a reality. However, their efforts were thwarted by the three Gems of red, blue and yellow, and the Crystal lost its power and vanished into the abyss in pieces. Thus, the sun's light was maintained, and Fodlan was protected.Now, nearly 1100 years later, the three Gems were passed down into the palms of three leaders of three countries. However, just like the gems were kept by the first wielders, the Shadow Crystal was kept by Seiros, and implanted into her granddaughter, Byleth, at birth, and her power is potent enough to be the next Shadow Crystal, much more powerful than the last. Aware of this, the three bearers of the gem bind together to put an end to Agartha, once and for all, with the death of Byleth.But what will happen if they can't bring themselves to kill her?This is my first fanfic on this site. Always wanted to throw my hat into the Dimileth ring!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Marianne von Edmund, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg & Claude von Riegan, Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue: The Burial

Someone sneezed from behind the cover of the rest of the group. The icy air permeated even their thickest cloaks and coats, and even as they huddled close to each other, they shivered violently. This little group of five moved quickly through the frost-covered pines, making sure to take big steps in the snow so they wouldn’t fall, or their bare legs wouldn’t touch the white mass. 

They would not rest, or stop moving through the pine needles, as if they were convinced that death would catch up to them as soon as they even thought about stopping. One of the cloaked individuals shuddered as a wolf’s howl cut through the silence of the night, and another one whimpered in fear. “Don’t stop. Move!!” The one at the head of the group hissed, picking up his steps. 

By this point, their toes were numb in their boots, and the one at the head silently cursed his mistress for sending them out into the icy forests of Faerghus in the middle of the night because of a plan created on the fly. He cursed the heavy object they were frantically carrying through the snow. He cursed the fact that he didn’t ask why they weren’t travelling to warm Almyra instead. 

“Look up! Search lanterns!” A panicked voice shook him out of his stupor. The head cloaked man looked up and saw the tall gray walls of Fhirdiad. More importantly, the various figures that he assumed were soldiers at the top of those walls, holding small lanterns while on their midnight patrol of the walls. And even more important were the watchers with their backs facing the cloaked group, moving bigger lanterns and dragging the orange lights around the snowy ground. 

The head of the cloaks clicked his teeth as the warmth of movement left and the inconvenience of their enemies’ diligence began to weigh on him heavily. He shook his head and quickly hissed back to the group. “There’s no choice. Leave her here!” The others were shuffling in place, trying to build up friction. At his words, they looked at each other in what he assumed was confusion. “But, sir! Lady Rhea specifically ordered that the Crystal-”

“I don’t care what she said! I’d rather die at the edge of her blade than in this cold! If we stay here any longer, she’ll wake up or we’ll all freeze, or those soldiers will find us!” He nearly shouted, forgetting that those soldiers could hear the noises in the trees. And it wasn’t snowing, so they would probably see their forms if they simply shone the light on them.

The desperation in his voice spurred the rest of his companions to quickly get to work. At once they dropped the large black sack they were carrying on the snow like it was a bag of potatoes. They rubbed their hands together frantically, and the one in the back lifted the large shovels he was carrying. At once, three grabbed the shovels and started to dig into the frosty ground with clumsy abandon.

The two who were left checked the sack for any signs of movement. The head of the cloaks sighed and gently grabbed at the bag where it was hardest. “Still, this woman is a heavy sleeper. Could it be the crystal, sir?” The one next to him wondered aloud. 

“I know not- try and be more quiet! But, the crystal will keep her from dying under there. And, with any luck, the king will find it and take her in.” He briefly called to the digging team, who shook their heads and kept digging quickly, throwing dirt and pine needles every which way.

While the idle cloaks were pacing to warm up, a dim light glowed from the black sack, and all five of them froze. The head of the cloaks bent down to the sack, and waved his hand to the digging team to continue. The purple glow pulsed gently in the night like a steady heartbeat, and he could almost hear the low noise of its pulsing as he bent his head closer. “The time is good.” He announced. “Is the hole ready?”

“Just about, sir. Another minute or so.” One of the diggers responded, their shovels becoming faster and sinking deeper. After a short minute of watching the glow emanate from the sack, the same digger called out. “Alright, sir! It’s ready!” 

At once, the head of the cloaks hooked both hands under the sack and lifted the body up, sauntering over to the hole, the freezing cold and snow forgotten. The rest of the cloaks gathered around the hole and looked down in respect as their head gently lowered to his knees and placed the body at the bottom of the hole. 

The purple glow seemed to brighten just a little bit, and the cloaks could clearly hear it pulsing now. All of them were nearly overwhelmed with emotion, and the head clasped his hands together, with the rest quickly following. A prayer was sent to the crystal now being buried, and as the cloaks took their time to pray, they remembered what an honor it was to bear witness to such an event, to be a part of the resurrection of the crystal. 

“We give thanks to the Shadow Crystal for its boundless blessings.” The head rumbled quietly, respectfully. The rest of the cloaks echoed his words, and looked down at the hole in gratitude. The head spoke again. “We graciously await the advent of the Dim Sun, that it may return this world to darkness.” And so it was echoed by the rest. Then, the diggers took up their shovels again, and they reversed their previous efforts, piling dirt onto the sack, piling on more and more dirt and surrounding snow until the glow, and the heartbeat-like noise was concealed completely. 

The cloaks put their hands together and prayed once again, then took up their shovels and huddled back the way they came. A frigid wind passed through their pressed-together bodies, making them remember that they could still die in the snows. 

The head of the cloaks smiled as he led his companions out of the woods, feeling a different kind of warmth rise from his previously numb feet. He could tell the rest of them felt the same way, full of joy and relief that their lady’s plan would surely work. He looked to the night sky, and eyed the twinkling stars briefly, making sure to imprint the beautiful sight in his mind, for he was sure that the night would one day persist for all time.


	2. Omen From the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bearer of the Red Gem is roused into action.

Saint Cichol Day festivities might have been too much for those residing in the fortress-like castle in Enbarr. It certainly was too much for the young brunette Emperor, who was forced to listen to the musicians outside her window from her chambers. She sat at her desk with her back to the window, quill in hand, frozen in the middle of a word on one of the reports from the east. 

“Pardon me, Your Majesty.” A deep, slightly sinister voice seeped into the room, and the door was opened to reveal a black haired man with piercing lime green eyes. “Dorothea wishes to see you. Shall I send her away?”

The emperor stood up abruptly, holding a hand out to stop him. “No, no, send her in. Hubert, why would you send a friend away?” She gently chided as her right hand man sighed in defeat and nodded towards the hallway. At once, a brunette haired woman burst in, effectively pushing Hubert to the side. A smile bloomed on her beautiful face, and she hugged the young monarch close to her. 

“Edie, you’re still in here?! The opera house is playing tonight! You oughta get out and enjoy yourself on Saint Cichol Day, at least!” Dorothea said, sadness on the edge of her voice. Edelgard hugged the taller woman back and rested her chin on her shoulder. “I wish I could, but unfortunately it’s days like this that make us susceptible to attacks and all sorts of mishaps. I’ll most likely be done if I hurry with the paperwork…” 

Dorothea pulled away and pouted. “You say that, and then you’ll be here until your birthday. By then you’ll be a husk.” Edelgard chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, come on. Have a little faith in me. I’ll still plan to take part in the garland making, at least.” Her chuckle became a small laugh as Dorothea rolled her eyes and groaned in a distinctive “ugh!”. 

“But in all seriousness,” The emperor looked towards a red dress decorated in floral patterns that she used for going to entertainment. Dorothea followed her gaze, and satisfaction rested on her features. “I do plan on going to the opera tonight with you and Bernadetta. Which one are we seeing again?”

The brunette woman walked to the dress and examined it, gently patting it, and spoke with her back turned. “The Three Gems and the Shadow Crystal. Finally someone put that one in. I hear they’ll have someone quite beautiful playing a villain. I wonder who it is.”

Edelgard hummed, sitting back down in her chair, but watching Dorothea as she smoothed out the dress. “Is it Seiros?” She asked, seeing Dorothea nod. “Hmm. The fact that you don’t know who’s playing such a big role is unusual.”

“I heard it was a new girl. Skin white as snow.” Edelgard perked up at that, and saw Hubert face Dorothea completely. “Pale as white skin?” She echoed. The brunette woman looked back at her friend, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. What’s wrong?”

Hubert spoke up this time. “We have reason to believe that that actress may be a member.” Dorothea’s eyes widened in surprise. Hubert continued. “How the opera company didn’t notice this entire time befuddles me.”

Edelgard felt the same, though she struggled to keep her face neutral. They had expressly informed the entire Empire by now the characteristics of their enemy, and one of them was distinct pale skin from staying underground for so long. The opera house had no way of not noticing, unless this new singer had sung her way to the top without showing most of her skin somehow. The emperor clicked her tongue and turned to Hubert. 

“Hubert, I need you to send a warning to the opera house. No threats. They need to be warned of this singer. And I’ll need to look at her information. Place of birth, education, anything you can give me. And just in case, don’t let her know about it.” She instructed quickly. Hubert bowed deeply and disappeared into the hallway. Dorothea tilted her head. “Do you really think she’s one of them?” She inquired. 

Edelgard sighed. “I wish I’d known sooner. I hope it won’t seem like we’re ruining the show because of this… But I don’t want to take any chances.” Her violet gaze shifted to the palm of her left hand, where a flat, red glassy object sparkled right in the center. The reflection of her uncertain face stared back at her, except her face was horizontally pulled, and her nose was gigantic. 

She looked up, surprised, when a hand covered that red reflection. Dorothea gently held it with her soft hands, smiling. “Try not to stress. I know I say that all the time, but this time, I mean it.” She knelt down so she could meet the emperor face to face. “I wish I could have gotten you out earlier, now it seems you won’t be going out tonight at all.” Her sad smile made Edelgard’s heart twist with guilt.

“Hey now, don’t be so negative.” Edelgard gently placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “Why don’t we just have some tea for now. I could honestly go for something sweet.” Dorothea’s mood lifted, and she nodded eagerly. “Maybe I could get Bern to come! She’s in the city! Come on, let’s go to the arbor outside!”

With a chuckle, the young Emperor stood up and grabbed her gloves before heading out after the brunette. She would have to remind Hubert that she was going somewhere. Fortunately, he could see him walk briskly down the hall towards her. “Ah, Hubert. I’m headed to the arbor with Dorothea. We’re going to have tea.” 

Hubert blinked, then bowed. “Then I shall accompany you, Lady Edelgard. Furthermore, the tasks you have commanded have been fulfilled. The warning was sent to the opera house a few minutes ago.” Edelgard smiled and nodded. “Good. I assume you’ll be having a cup with us?”

As she expected, the black haired man shook his head. “I will not. I am your humble servant. I will guard you while you celebrate this holy day with Dorothea.” As Edelgard sighed fondly, Dorothea’s sigh was harsh. “Come on, Hubie. You can guard Edie while we all have tea. Doesn’t mean you can’t see her any worse.” Dorothea then proceeded to grab Hubert’s arm to pull him forward, Hubert’s demeanor darkening in response. Edelgard let out another chuckle as she followed them. 

The chuckle was lost as she saw an official shuffle towards Hubert, and his body language practically spelled panic, and rushing. Dorothea and Hubert noticed him as well, and the latter took the parcel given to him by the official, who nearly ran away. The emperor felt her fist clench as she realized that the messenger had not even indicated who the sender was. 

Hubert turned to his master. “Shall I read it for you?” Edelgard nodded, tension in her jaw. Dorothea had let go of him with a stony expression, and Hubert stared at her and said, “Please stand back, Your Majesty. It may be dangerous.” Too impatient to argue, Edelgard took two large steps backward, Dorothea following suit, keeping her gaze locked on the parcel. 

Hubert slowly opened up the bag, and groped around its inside, pulling out a single envelope. “It’s from the King of Faerghus. And judging from the wax seal, it’s urgent.” After examining it for no danger, he held out the envelope from his hand, prompting the female emperor. 

Edelgard sped up to Hubert and took the envelope, examining the front. The red wax seal was stamped with the Crest of Blaiddyd, and Edelgard forced a dry gulp down. “Dimitri wrote this himself…?” She murmured, removing the seal and opening the letter. 

_To Her Majesty, Edelgard von Hresvelg I of the Adrestian Empire  
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m afraid to report that our greatest fears have been realized. The Blue Gem has been reacting to something in the area, near Fhirdiad. As you know, this should be impossible, as none of us have seen even a glimmer from the Gems except in the sunlight._

_My scouts have reported the excavation of the Shadow Crystal’s bearer in a field of pine trees east of Fhirdiad._

Upon reading that line, Edelgard’s breath hitched in her throat, and she nearly dropped the letter in her shock. Dorothea’s expression melted into worry, and she moved closer to Edelgard. “Edie? Are you alright?” She vaguely heard another call “Your Majesty”, but the world seemed to dissolve around the young Emperor as she locked onto the ink on the paper that spelled out those words. 

The fact that she wouldn’t be going to that opera began to please her, because she would have to be reminded of the fact that the Shadow Crystal would have to be destroyed once again. By her generation. By her and the two other wielders. It was helpful that she knew Dimitri and Claude, and maintained a good relationship with them, but the pressure of having the world on her shoulders was heavy enough. 

She was warned. From the time she was born until her father lay on his deathbed, she was warned that this day would come for her and her peers. The mages foretold that the Shadow Crystal may return in her generation. She’d been informed of all the stories, knew them all by heart, knew exactly what to do when she got the news that the Shadow Crystal was back. But she thought that she’d be prepared. She thought she would have the mental fortitude in order to endure the possible end of the world. Because the power was in her palm.

Edelgard damned her emotions. She damned the fact the Shadow Crystal of old just happened to pop up in her generation. And she damned her predecessor for not having enough diligence to destroy the entire thing so it wouldn’t ever be a threat to Fodlan again. 

She let out the breath she’d been holding in, and she could hear again. She looked back up and realized that she hadn’t finished the entire letter. She took in another breath and continued reading, praying for some good news.

_They’ve deduced that the Bearer has not been buried there for more than a day, yet she was stuffed into a sack with no holes and survived. Yes, she is alive, but she has not awoken yet from her slumber. It is deep, and no attempts to wake her have worked. We’ve placed her in a dungeon in the castle for now, while I have Mercedes examine her._

_I can clearly see the Shadow Crystal jutting from her shoulder. And the Blue Gem glows in her presence. Without a doubt, this woman is Byleth._

_I have also sent my fastest messenger to Almyra to inform Claude. I urge you to come to Fhirdiad, as well, so we may put an end to her once and for all. Hopefully, while she is still asleep._

_-His Majesty, King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd I of Faerghus_

At the end of the letter, Edelgard snapped her head up, startling her two companions, who were watching her silently read, then watched her gaze go uncharacteristically blank, then focus again, more sharply than ever. “Ready a carriage. A fast one. We must get to Fhirdiad as soon as possible.” She commanded firmly. Hubert bowed deeply and walked off without a word.

Edelgard rushed back into her room, Dorothea behind her. “I’m sorry, Dorothea,” She huffed as she stuffed the letter into a drawer. “I don’t think I’ll be able to have tea with you today.” She glanced at the brunette beauty, watching her nod in slight confusion. 

“I understand. It’s urgent, right? I’ll tell Bern right away. Oh, and I’ll also keep an eye on the new singer for you.” Edelgard nodded in thanks. As she watched Dorothea leave, she sighed, louder than ever before, feeling a new kind of tiredness seep into her bones. 

But behind that tiredness, was fierce and hot determination and defiance, and she gripped the edge of her desk. “I will not let you win, Byleth.” She declared through her teeth, glaring at the wall. At that moment, she thought she could feel the Red Gem burn along with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reach out to me on Discord, IdioticAscent#9887!


	3. Not Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mysterious and dangerous Shadow Crystal is in the hands of the King of Faerghus, bearer of the Blue Gem. However, the woman attached to it seems to hold some mysteries of her own...

The Shadow Crystal lay in front of King Dimitri. It no longer pulsed that deep purple that nearly blinded the soldiers that brought her in, as stiff as a corpse. And yet, she held the warmth of a living body, the pulse of a living body. Her skin was pale, whiter than snow, yet it was not at all sickly. Her hair was black as night, but looked as if someone had been taking care of it. She reminded him of ceramic, a sleeping doll. 

The Crystal was awkwardly stuck in her left shoulder, as if it burst out from her chest, hollow and clear dark violet that let all see into the depths of her body. Or, it would have. The king could not see into the depths of her shoulder from the view of the top of her head. It was just purple darkness. The skin around the surface of the crystal seemed to be fused onto it tightly, rugged and rippling like waves lapping on the sand, frozen in time.

He looked up at his friend who was currently examining her. A beautiful pale brown haired woman, who looked back and smiled at the blonde man as she gently gripped the blanket that was covering the corpse-like body. “Could you avert your eyes for just a second, Dimitri?” She asked in her soft voice. 

At once, he felt his cheeks heat up and shot his head another way. He heard the rustling of the blanket coming off and his friend giggling and humming in thought as she probed around gently. “P-please, tell me when I may look again, Mercedes…” He silently chided himself on his stuttering.

“This woman is certainly curious, Dimitri. Not a blemish on her after being carried then buried alive. No heartbeat, yet she has a pulse. She’s like a doll.” The gentle light haired woman uttered, gently placing her hands on the sleeping woman’s stomach. Of course, this one did not awaken from her comatose-like state. 

Even after their days in the academy, the woman examining still took to calling him by his name when they were alone, which eased his burdens of being a monarch at his age, as well as the tension he felt when staring at the person that could cause the end of an entire continent.

Her very presence sent chills throughout the military force that brought her in. And Dimitri had to admit, even though this woman was small in stature and looked about as harmful as a white rose as she slept, he felt the same. There was no telling what she would be like when she woke up. 

Still, the very nature of her appearance in his country was odd. And so close to Fhirdiad, too...

Before he could delve further into that thought, he heard the infirmary door open. There stood a dark-skinned man even taller than he was with turquoise eyes, his face littered with scars, clad in silver armor. “Your Majesty.” his deep voice rumbled gently. His eyes darted briefly to the sleeping body on the table, who was still lying exposed. Dimitri could have sworn that he saw the other man’s cheek darken when he snapped his gaze to his left, away from it.

The king walked closer to the darker skinned man, locking his gaze on him to divert his focus. “Dedue! How can I help you?” Dimitri said, a little sharper so he would be able to look back at him. Dedue took the hint quickly and cleared his throat, standing up straighter. “Lindhart and Marianne have arrived.”

Dimitri nodded, grateful for extra hands on deck. They were two of the best healers he knew besides Mercedes, and he’d sent a letter to each of them besides the two other leaders of the continent. However, what was more important than that was the fact that they were all friends from the Officer’s Academy just 3 years before. And after sharing many battlefields with them, Dimitri understood that he could trust them with matters as... Delicate as this.

Delicate matters like the potential destruction of the world as they knew it.

He mentally shook his head. His negative thoughts had to stop. “Good. Have them come in. I’m afraid I won’t be able to welcome them, as I have another meeting to attend.” Dedue nodded. “I will accompany you.” He announced. 

On their way to the meeting room, Dimitri stole a glance at his left palm, pulling up his black glove to reveal the hollow stone taking up the center of his palm. For the first time in his life, it glittered as bright as the blue sky, and pulsed gently like a slow heartbeat. It was all new to him, and he didn’t properly understand how to use it. He only recently remembered the pictures in the royal library that depicted his ancestor and the two other gem bearers holding their hands out towards the Shadow Crystal when it was first destroyed. 

When he lifted his palm after the glowing had stopped, however, the gem was dull and dark, the same as it had always been. 

\--------  
Mercedes saw the infirmary door open right as she draped the blanket back over the woman on the table in front of her. Of course, no reaction came from her. She saw two people come in, man and a woman. The dark green haired man let out a small sigh of awe when they came in contact with the table.

“Ah, now this was worth getting out of bed.” He practically skipped beside Mercedes on the side of the table near the feet, who giggled at his reaction. “Well, hello there, Linhardt. It’s nice to see you. And you, too, Marianne! I’m so glad you both made it to Fhirdiad safely.”

The blue haired woman’s dark brown eyes flitted up at Mercedes, shy, yet fairly bright. She could also see that they looked troubled. But who could blame her when the object of everyone’s nightmares and scary stories lay before them? However, Mercedes kept her smile on Marianne to keep her focused. “It’s nice to see you too, Mercedes…” She murmured, staying near the door.

Linhardt, meanwhile, had already pulled the blanket back, and reached over to the Shadow Crystal without hesitation. Marianne gasped at the sight of it. The crystal, like the woman, didn’t even react. “You verified that this is the real, genuine Shadow Crystal? From the history books?” He inquired, now placing his hands on the bearer’s body. “Because this looks and feels like just a stone with a woman attached to it.”

Marianne clasped her hands together in prayer. Mercedes could hear her whisper “Goddess, protect us…” before she gently placed her hands just floating above the woman’s breast. Gentle green light glimmered from the blue haired woman’s fingertips, and she slowly waved them over the body from head to toe. 

Looking at the woman now, Mercedes could see that she was actually quite beautiful, even with the awkward and painful looking crystal protruding from her shoulder. Her lips were plump and full, her skin was clear and soft, and her black hair was shiny and looked well maintained. It was clear that wherever she came from, she was well off and appreciated by those around her. That would make sense, as she was the Agarthans’ last hope in covering the world in eternal night.

“Well,” Mercedes answered, directing her gaze to Linhardt, who was beginning to look bored. “When she was brought in by the guard, Dimitri said he took one look at the sack she was in, and her shoulder began to glow. Then the Blue Gem began to glow in response! And even though that turned the Gem down, she didn’t react at all.”

Marianne finally looked up from her work, looking concerned. “Is Dimitri alright?” She asked. Mercedes felt a smile bloom on her own face. “Yes, he’s alright. I’m surprised you didn’t go to see him, Marianne.”

She saw pink burn its way across her fellow healer’s cheeks, and she looked down. “He’s a king, after all. I’m sure he has more important things to deal with than me.” Mercedes shook her head. “Oh, come now. Dimitri will always make time for people he cares about. But you’re right. He is busy these days, especially with these new developments.”

“She has no heartbeat,” Linhardt piped in, changing the subject. “But there’s a pulse. I’m guessing that the Crystal has something to do with that. I wish we could peer inside her somehow without seeing her blood and guts.” He said with a disappointed pout appearing on his lips. Mercedes giggled gently. “That does seem like a bit too much, considering that she’s alive. In the first place, I feel it was a bit disrespectful to even take her clothes off like this...” She agreed.

When Mercedes looked back at the woman on the table, she felt her blood run cold for the briefest of moments. The woman’s mouth was moving. It was slight, but it was moving, looking like it was making out words. “Oh! Her mouth!” 

The other two healers sprung to life, eyes locking on her face, both gaping slightly when they saw the same thing. All three of them leaned closer to her head, trying to make out what she was saying. It looked slightly awkward, because Linhardt was farther from the other two, so he had to place his head almost on Mercedes’.

Mother. Grandmother. Papa. That was all she was saying. Her voice sounded unnaturally clear despite the slight hoarse grogginess for someone who’d been asleep for a few days. “Mother? Do you think she’s talking about Seiros?” Marianne asked quietly, a tinge of fear riding on her voice. Linhardt kept his ear as close as he could to the black haired woman’s mouth. “If Seiros were still alive, that would certainly be a thing to remember. But for now, I doubt it. If only there was a way for her to wake up and give us details…”

Mercedes leaned back, eyeing the woman’s mouth. “We should tell Dimitri when he returns. Maybe she’s close to waking up. Oh, but I should find her some clothes before then.”

“Still, it’s amazing that her voice is this so clear! Her throat still retains moisture even after her breathing should have dried it out!” Linhardt’s rare burst of energy came back, and he pulled the blanket back, exposing the woman on the table once again. His hands poked and prodded at her ribs, and Mercedes chided him gently, reminding him to be gentle with a woman, no matter who she was.  
\-------

Dimitri was at his desk in his office, looking over a letter that was sent from Edelgard. Apparently, she was on her way, expressing her wishes to simply dispense with the carriage and riding a horse straight to Fhirdiad with a small group. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. She hadn’t changed one bit; never really liking the theatrics of anything that didn’t require it, hating traditions that she thought was unnecessary…

He heard a knock, and he quickly called “Enter!”, and Dedue opened it, letting Mercedes enter the room. While he felt relief, he also felt tension eat at his gut when he saw her. “Mercedes. Thank you for this, my friend. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time…” He started, and saw the short haired woman wave her hand dismissively with a smile. 

“Oh, don’t worry, Dimitri. It was the least I could do. You know I’m always happy to help.” Dimitri returned her smile with a sheepish one of his own. Dedue stood by the door with a stoic expression, but was pulled out of it when Mercedes gently tapped his shoulder with her palm. “And thank you, Dedue, for showing me around.”

Dimitri was pleased to see a smile on his friend’s face, though it was slight. Mercedes looked back at Dimitri. “Well, let me tell you what we found.”

The room quickly tensed up. Dimitri leaned forward in his seat expectantly.

“Alright. This woman did not have any irregularities in her blood, at least not from what Marianne could tell. She had no sorts of wounds or bruising from her time underground. Her hair and skin are well kept and healthy, and she shows no sign of undernutrition.” Mercedes reported.

Dimitri nodded as he listened, looking at his desk thoughtfully. “Wherever this woman came from, she was treated with great care… Agartha.” He peered back up and saw Mercedes frown. “Do we know her name at all?” She asked.

“The scriptures said that Seiros promised that the Shadow Crystal would return in the form of someone or something named Byleth. I can only assume that it's her.” Dimitri replied. He then looked away, unsure of whether that really mattered at this moment when she had to die as soon as possible.

The healer seemed to pick up on that from his expression, and frowned even deeper. “From what I can tell, she doesn’t have any fertility issues, and still has her maidenhead.” Dimitri cursed himself for the heat that he felt in his face, and for some reason, he saw the image of the woman’s naked body in the back of his head. He shook his head quickly, watching Mercedes hold back a chuckle with her hand.

“If you’re wondering why I went through the trouble of ensuring that she’s a virgin, I just wanted to clarify something Linhardt had asked of me. I couldn’t really figure out why he would want to check something like that…” Mercedes leaned her cheek on her palm. 

“Hmm.” Dimitri hummed. “I am remiss as to when Claude will arrive. I’ve heard nothing from him yet, but I’ll bet he’ll have a theory when he sees the Fell Star.”

He nodded at Mercedes to continue. “Well, lastly… Her body functions aren’t normal, and I assume it has to do with the Shadow Crystal. She doesn’t have a heartbeat, but there’s a pulse. Her body retains moisture very well. Her voice was clear when she spoke in her sleep.” She clarified when Dimitri raised his eyebrow.

“She talked in her sleep? What did she say?” 

“ ‘Mother’, ‘grandmother’, and ‘Papa’. That’s all we could make out anyway.”

The blonde king sighed deeply, frustration building up in his chest. There were only more questions, and no answers. “When Edelgard and Claude arrive, we’ll have to deal with this matter once and for all…” He muttered, mostly to himself.

Deep down, he held pity for the unfortunate woman that was stuck to the evil stone. She could have lived something of a normal life if she wasn’t born destined to be the Agarthans’ last hope. 

But Dimitri had a destiny of his own. And he always kept his promises.

“If I may, Dimitri…” Mercedes stated firmly, a serene expression on her face. “Is it possible to let this woman live just a bit longer?”

“What…? Live longer?” He echoed in disbelief. He could see the look of quiet surprise creep across Dedue’s face near the door. He narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you mean, Mercedes?”

Mercedes was undeterred. “I think you should spare her, just a bit longer. It seems that right now, there’s too many questions that we don’t have answers to.”  
Dimitri shook his head immediately. “Mercedes, there’s no way I can do that. Even if I don’t have enough answers, there’s no reason for me to risk the entire continent over something so… Minor. I must put my people first.”

Mercedes looked down, seemingly understanding of the consequences. However, she looked back up with a defeated expression. “I suppose you’re right… There’s no reason to risk everyone else for just one person…” She sighed.

Dimitri studied her for a minute. He felt some remorse at seeing her look so down without knowing exactly why. And Mercedes was not the type so get discouraged so easily unless she was originally sure of her judgement. So her reaction to his decline caused a stone of anxiety to settle at the bottom of his gut. “I do not understand. What brings this on, Mercedes?”

The healer’s face lifted slightly, but uncertainty settled where defeat previously sat. “I just feel that something’s wrong… I can’t really place it very well.” She stated simply, giving no indication that she was going to explain any more. Dimitri raised an eyebrow at her once again.

“Well,” he breathed. “I cannot put an end to her by myself, anyhow.” Both the Red and Yellow Gems were needed in order for the Shadow Crystal to really die. According to the scriptures left behind by his ancestor, the most the Blue Gem could do was keep it from glowing. “I will observe her for any strange behavior. But I will still have to keep her in a cell. We still have no idea how she’ll react when she awakens. If she awakens.” He stood up and placed his palms on the table firmly. 

Mercedes’ lips quirked up a bit, and she bowed lightly. “Thank you for trusting me, Dimitri.” The king nodded in response. “Of course, Mercedes. Please, relax a bit with Marianne and Linhardt before you go. I still have to thank you for your work today.”

Mercedes lifted a hand to her lips to hide her laughter. Her smile was full and genuine now. “Again, I’m always happy to help. Though I would appreciate it if you spoke a bit with Marianne. She was worried about you earlier when I told her about when the woman came in.”

He tilted his head. He had not seen much of the blue haired woman since the academy. He felt he had many things in common with Marianne; she was a wonderful friend and confidant, and to this day, he felt awful for neglecting his relationship with her, despite the fact that he was a king and was usually bombarded with work as well as training. “Is that so? I’ll make sure to greet her on the way to the training hall. Dedue, could I trouble you to escort her?” 

The dark skinned man nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will return soon.” With that, he opened the door, and Mercedes left with a wave. Dedue closed the door behind him, leaving Dimitri alone in the office.

Dimitri sat back down, and picked up a metal quill. This entire day was uncertain, and what he just saw from Mercedes only made it worse. No matter how many times he read the scriptures, none of it would be enough preparation for what he saw today. 

He looked over to the stack of faded notebooks next to him on the desk. Each one held a plethora of detailed accounts on the days when the Shadow Crystal first appeared. Written memories from his ancestor, about every day to when he first met Seiros to the day he died. Dimitri doesn’t need to open up the journal to recite the final entry written by Loog Blaiddyd, for it’s been imprinted in his mind since he was a boy. 

_Seiros foretold that the Crystal would return in the form of “Byleth”. I know not of what she is plotting. But I pray for my descendants that they receive guidance from my dear friend Cichol. For I fear the endless night will come yet again._

And of course, every time his mind wandered to “Cichol”. Dimitri knew that name well. Cichol was one of the Four Saints who united against Seiros, and helped the Blue, Yellow, and Red Gem bearers to deal the final blow against the Shadow Crystal. They were Loog’s closest allies, apart from Wilhelm and Riegan. They were holy figures, born from the Goddess and siblings of the wicked Seiros. They were key in weakening the Crystal.

But how could they possibly help them, eleven hundred years later?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers write what they know, and I know little. 
> 
> Please feel free to comment your feedback, concerns or questions and I will do my best to answer them! Your comments and kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> Reach out to me on Discord, IdioticAscent#9887


	4. Gaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shadow Crystal finally awakens in the castle of Fhirdiad, far away from her home and the arms of those who love her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm gonna be doing two chapters an update type of thing... I hope it works out that way. Anyway, thank you for reading. Please enjoy.

_“You’re absolutely wonderful, my child. Your mother and I are so proud of you. That is right… You are the hope that will lead our people to salvation…” a hand stroked the cheek of the bearer of the Shadow Crystal as the owner of it whispered gently. Her voice was sweeter than a melody._

_“But Grandmother, how will I know when it’s time for me to lead everyone aboveground?” It whispered._

_"My child, that is simple. Let the Crystal guide your every move, you won't ever have to do a thing..." The hand moved to its hair, and stroked it, leaving streaks of delicious warmth down the back of its head and neck that made it smile. "Grandmother, you don't have to worry." It said determinedly, love blossoming in her chest for the woman above it. "I won't let you down, I promise. I will lead our people to glory. No one will ever be afraid of the exposing light ever again..."_

Byleth’s mouth tasted bitter when she awoke. And it was a little dry, and in that moment, she wanted a glass of water more than anything.

She stared at a stone ceiling, and immediately understood that something was amiss. It was much more gray than the underground. There were no bright blue lights or deep black walls around her when she darted her eyes around, and a musty, stale scent hit her nostrils. Less moist than what she was used to.

When Byleth turned her head, she saw another wall, and the other direction led to bars, solid-looking metal bars. Ah, so she lay in a prison. As she turned her head, she felt her back ache in discomfort, and tried to shift her body to the right, away from the stone in her shoulder. But she was halted, like something was pulling her back. Whatever it was didn’t stop her from sitting up and looking at what binded her, however, and she saw bulky handcuffs on her wrists and ankles.

Now that she saw them, she could feel the cold pain on her legs and arms. Not to mention the fact that it was just cold in general under the black dress she wore. As she lifted her hand to rub her arms, she heard gasps from the bars. Looking towards them, she heard whimpers of what sounded like fear. Two men with lances and blue and silver helmets on their heads were facing her from beyond the bars, pointing their weapons toward the prison.

Byleth raised an eyebrow when she noticed that they were trembling. Hoping to calm them down, she struck up a conversation. “Hello. Do you know why I have been put here?” She attempted gently. 

Her “icebreaker” only helped to frighten the two men more, and she heard them yelp, and one of them sped off to the west, where she assumed the exit was. “Wait!” She called after him without thinking. But he was already gone. She glanced at the remaining soldier for help, and as soon as her gaze shifted to him, he screamed out in fear and looked frantically to the exit, seemingly pondering whether he should run or not. 

The black haired woman couldn’t help but admire his courage, though she found it strange, as she was the one who was chained and behind bars, while he was the one with the large and pointy stick. 

“Excuse me,” she tried again, slowly. “But, are you alright?” 

She could see his eyes widen even from under his helmet. The soldier froze. “Wh-, buh, huh?” He spluttered. “Am I… alright?” Byleth nodded. “Yes. You and your friend were so afraid. Was it because of me? Do you know where we are?”

The soldier gripped his lance with both hands, pressing his lips together. “Well… Um… About that…” Clinking footsteps coming from the hallway silenced him completely, and he faced to the west, where the exit definitely was, and bowed slightly in that direction. Byleth listened to the shuffling of footsteps belonging to many people, and didn’t see them clearly until they stood in front of her bars.

Next thing she knew, to her confusion, Byleth was being watched like an animal. Only the stares she saw were less of fear, and more of detest. Distrust. Incredulity. Like they had no idea why she was here. The tall blonde man at the front was clad in black armor with two blue crossing slashes over his right breast. He also carried a large blue cloak, heavily furred at the top and framing his shoulders. His ice blue eyes were pooled in what seemed like confusion and wariness. The man next to him looked much older, with dark blue hair down to his neck and facial hair around his lips and chin. He was also dressed rather warmly, and his eyes were clear with distrust. 

Byleth recognized the soldier who’d run away. She supposed she was getting these people. Swallowing her uneasiness at this scrutiny, the young woman spoke. “Hello. Are you in charge here? May I borrow your cloak? I’m freezing and don’t have any shoes.” The blonde’s cloak looked so furry and perfect for her petite size, and she longed to wrap it around her.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Byleth would only be getting negative reactions from people today, as all the faces in the room were painted over with shock, and it was as if they were frozen in ice blocks themselves. Meanwhile, the woman rubbed her arms roughly, shuddering out a sigh. Now she felt she would spend the whole time fantasizing about the cloak if he didn’t give it to her soon. Why did they have to lock her in such a dark and dank environment with no shoes and only a black dress? Speaking of which… This was not the same dress she wore when she retired to bed last night. It was a blue nightgown, not black. 

She turned back to the four men in the room, who were still frozen with shock. “Please, could you tell me where I am? I would honestly prefer that over the cloak.” She said. 

Her words shook the older man out of his shock, and he clenched his fist at her, glaring. “Why would we tell you anything, Fell Star?” He spat out the last two words as if they were venom. Byleth reeled back in surprise at his tone. She most likely should have expected it from the glare, but still, she had no idea what the issue was with her in the eyes of these men. 

The black haired woman looked to the blonde man, whose face had returned to wariness, but confusion had now taken dominance. “Do you not…” He started slowly, staring right at her. She locked onto that voice, for it was the calmest one she’d heard since she woke up. “Know why you’ve been imprisoned?” 

She tilted her head at that, slightly gaping. Of course she had no idea why she was in a random dank and cold dungeon in chains! Of course she had no idea why she wasn’t at home with her mother and grandmother, where it was warmer and friendlier and nobody was spitting out her title like she was some sort of dirty animal. 

“No!” She exclaimed, her confusion and frustration bursting out. “No, I don’t know why I’ve been locked up! If you would be so kind, would you please explain that to me?! Where is my mother? Where is my grandmother? Why am I not in Agartha? Please, just answer that and stop looking so terrified of me! I haven’t done anything wrong!!”

To her irritation, the same look of shock had been plastered on their faces, except the blonde’s was much more mild this time around. He stood there, staring at her silently after she spoke, and although he wasn’t terrible to look at, the evaluating look really got on her nerves and she looked away at the ground. 

After a short while, she heard, “Rodrigue. I will handle this on my own.” Byleth looked up and saw that he was facing the older gentleman, who widened his eyes back at him. “Your Majesty, you can’t be serious! Leaving you here by yourself?!”

“Something’s off. I can’t put my finger on it but something’s wrong. She doesn’t seem to know anything about her situation.” Byleth’s eyes widened slightly when she heard “Your Majesty”. So this man was a king. He would certainly have all of the answers she was looking for. She didn’t get to hear more, as the king lowered his voice for the rest of the conversation. 

Rodrigue stepped back and sighed. Then he nodded, bowed slightly, and beckoned the two soldiers with him as he walked to the west, towards the exit. Once the door shut with a heavy, empty slam, Byleth found herself staring at the king, who sighed as he returned the staring contest. His gaze seemed tired and weary, which was strange to Byleth because he didn’t look as old as she was. 

After a bit, she noticed that his eyes weren’t directed at her face, but at her left shoulder, where her wound was. Suddenly self-conscious, she reached up to cover it with her hand, but was stopped by the short chain. So instead, she shifted her body so it was further from his sight. “What?” She spat irritably. “Why are you staring at my wound?”

His eyes widened yet again. “Your… Wound? You mean the Shadow Crystal?”

Byleth found her stomach dropping at those words, and she looked down once again. “Don’t call it that. Please.” The king made a small “o” with his mouth and looked to the floor in what she assumed was embarrassment. “F-forgive me.” He said, meekly, unbefitting of his regal attire or title. Feeling guilt churn her insides, she shook her head. “It’s fine. Don’t apologize, Your Majesty.”

He looked back up, and she did as well, taking the time to really look into his eyes, which were a storm of confusion and other emotions she couldn’t place. Perhaps she could really get through to this person. “Please…” She murmured. “Please just tell me what’s going on. Where am I? And who are you?”

The blonde man heaved a sigh that took his entire body. She couldn’t see his eyes for a few minutes, and she took bated breaths as she waited. Then, the king looked up, eyes clear blue pools, his posture much straighter, like a human wall, impenetrable down to his very mind. It was a stark difference from the man before, and she straightened up, forgetting the ache on her back. 

“I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, King of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. You are in the Kingdom capital, Fhirdiad, in a dungeon.” He started, voice steady. He trailed off, then, looking unsure of how to continue. Byleth took that as a chance for her to say her piece. “Um, greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Sothis Byleth Eisner. Uh, just call me Byleth. I don’t really like Sothis, but-” She started off trying to be as steady as him, but fell apart and began to ramble. 

“Do you know who I am? What I really am?” He cut her off then, placing his right palm over the blue cross on his armor. Byleth tilted her head at that. “What you are? … No, I can’t really say that I do.”

Dimitri looked to the side then, his mouth moving in what seemed to be a mumble. Then he looked back up. “Then I will explain to you explicitly. You… are my enemy. You have been imprisoned here as my enemy.”

Byleth’s confusion didn’t dissipate very much, the fog only seemed to grow in her mind. “Why?” She asked. “Why have I been imprisoned here? Have I committed some crime?”

“So you really don’t know?” Dimitri blurted out, looking almost as confused as she felt. His calm demeanor dropped, and he ran his right hand through his slightly shaggy blond hair. “You say that the Crystal is your ‘wound’, and that you have no idea why you’re here or who I am…” He looked at the same hand, glaring at it as if it were something detestable. “And this is no help…” He sighed again. “Alright, Byleth. Tell me the last thing you recall before you were placed in this dungeon.”

“Um, uh…” That was a good question. She sure wasn’t anywhere near Agartha, that’s for sure. She decided to speak honestly. “Well, I was going to bed for the night. I told my mother and grandmother, and then I fell asleep. Next thing I know, I’m in chains and in a jail cell.” 

Dimitri listened to her with a hand on his chin, nodding along and eyes closed. Then he opened them and stared her in the eyes. “Alright. Listen very carefully, Byleth. That was not last night that you went to sleep.”

The young woman’s heart dropped. She widened her eyes and snapped her head in his direction. “Wh-what are you talking about? Of course it was!”

He shook his head, his eyes getting more focused. “No, it wasn’t. You’ve been in here for about a day and a half, sleeping. And when my scouts found you, you’d been buried alive, in a sack, with no air holes to speak of.”

“No… N-no, you lie! I…” Byleth heard a distant creaking in her head. Suddenly it was cold, far colder than the cell around her, and she saw flickers of her mother’s smile, her warm fingers stroke and comb her hair, and felt her stomach flip and do strange dances. “I…”

He continued. “The Crystal, er, your wound was glowing when we unearthed you. You were even examined by healers yesterday, but you did not even stir.” 

It couldn’t be. It had to be last night. It was so fresh and vivid in her mind. This man must be speaking lies. There was no possible way she could have survived being buried alive in a sack. There was no reason to believe anything this man said! But his eyes… They showed no deceit. But that’s impossible! Her grandmother, her mother would have known, would have gotten her back by now!

Another memory opened in the back of her eyes, and she slapped a hand over her mouth with a hand, feeling acid rise up and scorch her throat. Gaps in her memory, and what she was really doing during that time, they were opening up again. They were opening up, chasms opening up and the only way away from them was the cliff leading to the black abyss below.

Chasms, abyss, dark, purple, purple. Dark, dark, dark, dark dark dark darkdarkdarkdark…

Byleth’s heartbeat pounded in her ears, louder than the drums her father used to play when she was little, but much slower than normal. Yes, when Papa was there. When Papa held her close, there was no reason to cry or want to leave the underground. She felt her shoulder sear as if something was eating at it. Tooth by tooth, digging into her shoulder and causing such awful pain.

She wanted to scratch at her wound, because it hurt and itched, itched and hurt. Maybe it would have helped if she could scratch, but she pulled at her chains and couldn’t reach. 

Cold. It was so cold. There was no light, only cold and dark and dank and heartbeat felt like it was increasing, threatening to burst from her chest and leave her body to run away from all of the pain and searing and itching.

Then all at once, so sudden, she felt warmth. The sweetest warmth, as if her mother had wrapped a blanket around her and hugged her close, kissing her gently on her temple and singing her a lullaby about the moist underground. The searing in her arm was soothed as if she were a fire that was splashed with a bucket of ice water. 

Byleth opened her eyes, and saw the moon. The bluest moon, glowing so softly in the night sky, but shining all over her as if it were its own type of sun, washing over her tired, aching body like a much needed bath. She opened her mouth and took in a deep breath, and tasted fresh air. Fresh air! Not moist, earthy air or musty air, it was leafy, it felt perfect on her tongue, and she writhed in place to get this beautiful warmth all over her body.

“Mother…” She called out, but it only came out as a whisper. “Mother, come with me…” 

Right as she was about to doze off, the moon began to dim into a gentle wave, and she looked to her left, and saw Dimitri. His face and hair were dyed by the blue moon, almost like his skin had suddenly turned blue. He was so close, and from here, she could see his defined cheekbones, as well as his worried and bewildered gaze. He looked so alarmed.

“Your Majesty…? Why are you so…? What is… … .” She trailed off, feeling her eyelids become heavy, as well as the rest of her body, become heavier than stone. It was a hassle just to lift a finger. 

But before her mind went to sleep, the moon finally faded, and Byleth was thrown back into the dark gray of the cell, but the cold was more bearable than before. Her body became lighter, but she didn’t feel any sort of motivation to move. It seemed like she had more control over her body now than under the moon. 

She felt a large hand cup the back of her head. Dimitri was still there, looking down at her with concern and surprise raging in his eyes. Byleth hummed groggily. “Your… Majesty…?” Feeling her eyelids become droopy once again, she finally gave in.

The last thing she heard before she disappeared into the depths of slumber was, “What is going on these days?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me how my Byleth and Dimitri are! I love them so much; I would love to know if I did right by them.
> 
> Writers write what they know, and I know little.
> 
> Please feel free to add some feedback in the comments, along with concerns, questions or whatever and I will do my best to answer to them. It really helps me out.


	5. Writing on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yellow Gem is thoroughly frustrated by his ancestor's secrecy on his greatest enemy.

“Claude! Claude! Pbbt, peh, ugh! Are you ever going to respond to me! My clothes are getting dirty walking in this sand!” 

Khalid was not sure it was wise to bring his friend all the way to an Almyran desert. He also wasn’t sure it was wise to bring her anywhere away from her own territory, otherwise she’d just complain and never shut up about the heat or the sand in her clothes or mouth. He also wasn’t sure it was wise to bring her to a temple in a desert in Almyra. The sacred place he was standing in front of demanded silence and respect, and he didn’t have it at this very moment.

This temple was rather out of the ordinary for the normally haughty and loud, rambunctious and proud Almyrans. Normally, a feast, a party was enough to give thanks to those who came before them and those who had yet to arrive. Loud and proud and haughty and rambunctious was the way of the people beyond Fodlan’s Throat. 

Yet the temple was crafted from smooth sandstone, the pillars high and topped with delicately carved wyverns sitting gracefully, watching any visitor who came to give praise to their ancestors. And at the sides, resting on either side of the stairs leading up to the entrance… were hippopotami. Two huge, realistically carved Almyran hippopotami sat, mouth closed and lacking pupils, but still watching. 

There were more hippopotami than wyverns in the temple, which was another mystery of this temple. Wyverns were the most beloved and domesticated animal by far in Almyra. The hippopotami were largely feared and told in mother’s horror stories when children were playing near the lake or the swamp. Yet here, they seemed gentle, almost… Cute. 

“Sorry, Hilda. I told you that I was bringing you somewhere you wouldn’t want to go, and yet you followed me anyway.” Khalid pointed out. “It was actually unlike you.” He turned back to the pink haired girl, who had frustration indented into her frown and eyebrows. 

“Claude, honey, I’d follow you, always. But you should have told me I was going into the desert! I could have had the extra incentive to stay home!” She wailed, throwing her head back and looked up at the blue sky. The young king of Almyra looked back at the temple decorated by hippos, an easy smile coming to his face. “Besides,” he heard her continue. “You told me and Lorenz you were going to Fodlan to meet up with Dimitri. There’s a world at stake, you know. Almyra’s going to be caught up in it. And you’re here? At this far-out old temple?”

“Hilda, I brought you to the Yellow Temple because I know the severity of the situation. I may be a goofball, but I thought you’d understand by now that I’m not stupid. … Hopefully.” Khalid began to walk up the stairs leading to the entrance. He turned to his white wyvern, who’d now rested underneath the large maw of a stone hippo next to the stairs. He lightly huffed in laughter when he noticed that even she, a wyvern, was trying to escape the vicious sunlight that’d been beating down on the sand. 

Hilda, who’d been behind him, skipped up the stairs and right under the shady parts of the entrance, and fanned herself with a pink fan that she swiped from her bag before she left. Khalid, however, took his time, busy taking in the hippo-infested architecture. Once he reached the hollow entrance and walked inside, he was relieved at how much cooler it was inside.

And while he expressed this inwardly, Hilda expressed it… Rather loudly. She stretched her back and shook her arms and legs. “Oogh, now I’m all sweaty… You will tell no one of how I spat out sand earlier, got it, Claude?” Khalid nodded silently, smiling back at her, just to get her to drop the subject. He made no promise of not telling one of their friends, though. 

“I’m gonna need you to be quiet for a bit, Hilda.” The sun-kissed man said, dropping his volume. “This is sacred ground.” Hilda’s eyes went wide and she straightened, keeping respectful posture, hands folded neatly in front of her. “What is this place?” She whispered.

The inside of the temple was vast, but noisy as large streams of sand on either side of the platform that they stood on crawled through hemispherical trenches leading outside using gravity. The streams originated from the depths of the temple, past multiple rooms lined with graves and multiple paintings. Khalid led his friend deeper into the yellow colored temple, watching her gaze at the wall carvings and paintings. 

The paintings depicted a war. It seemed like a long and brutal war, and Almyrans took part in that, riding on hippopotami and wyverns to destroy the Shadow Crystal that threatened to destroy the world… and so on and so on. With each room, there was a succession to the story. The first room depicted the Shadow Crystal pulsing, along with a crazed-looking woman Khalid could only assume was Seiros. 

In the final room, however, there were only four figures. It was the three wielders of the Gems, holding their hands out in yelling, all pointing their hands out at Seiros, who was writhing in agony as the Shadow Crystal exploded behind her.  
And the story ends there.

What was in the final room besides that carving, was a small circular pond, with moss growing in the corners of the chamber, and a large circular hole that allowed sunlight to leak out and bathe the clear water in sparkles.

Khalid and Hilda stood over the pond, with the former walking close to it and gently dipping his right hand into the pool. Almost instantly the water turned a shade of liquid gold, shining brightly and beautifully. The pond simply changed color, but the resulting change was a sight to see on its own. He heard Hilda gasp behind him and come up next to him. “Wow!” She breathed in awe.

Rumbling could be felt under the two, and the ground could also be seen shaking, until it finally stopped with a heavy-sounding click. Silence overtook the temple once more, and Khalid pulled his hand out of the water, shaking it gently to warm up and dry his hand. He looked up, and a satisfied smile rose to his face at the new opening in the back of the room, where an especially large hippo head was in the wall, a rectangular door that opened up along with the hippo’s giant mouth. It looked surreal as the bottom jaw had been dropped to the floor when it opened up the entrance.

Hilda let out yet another gasp of awe. “Wow! Was that because of the Yellow Gem?” She asked excitedly. She’d always loved the sparkling golden stone embedded within Khalid’s hand, though she didn’t enjoy the bits of skin on the edges of it.

“Sure was,” Khalid responded, standing up straight. “Apparently, 1000 years ago, Riegan made a secret room to store away his accounts of what happened during that time.” He walked briskly around the pond, Hilda not far behind and stepped into the back room. 

At once, they were both assaulted by the chill of the space, a stark contrast from the hot and dry environment from outside. Hilda shivered and rubbed at her arms, huffing out impatiently. “Is there a more moderate space he could have placed the journals… In… to?” Hilda was cut off at the sight of the room before her. 

It was about the same size as the other rooms, big enough to house about three adult wyverns and their offspring… But the difference between those rooms and this one lay on the walls. From floor to ceiling, it was covered in Almyran scripture, small letters closely packed together around various cavern paintings, mostly depicting four individuals with what looked like green hair. On all four walls, there was just writing, and Khalid knew that if he stared at it for too long, her head would start to ache. He looked up at the ceiling itself, and much much bigger writing could be seen, short, yet almost taking up the entire ceiling with just how massive it was. 

_Byleth will come_ , it read.

Khalid had never really been in this room before; his parents scolded him harshly to not touch the pond under any circumstances until he was ready. Obviously, as a child he had no idea why he couldn’t touch the water. He thought perhaps he would make whatever lived in that water angry. But it was to keep the Yellow Gem from unlocking the interior of this room to outsiders. 

“I suppose Reigan didn’t trust the sturdiness of paper…” Hilda said absentmindedly, darting her head around. “Can you read all of this, Claude?”

“Of course. It’s just that he stuck so many letters together that it’s hard to make it out into ‘words’, y’know?” He replied, tracing his hand over the indented writing, feeling its relatively smooth texture under the pads of his fingers. He could identify words such as “Cethleann” and “Wilhelm”, and a whole bunch of “and”s in between it all. 

He didn’t expect to decipher it all in one day, but thankfully, he’d seen from Dimitri and Edelgard’s own journals from their respective ancestors. And of course, at the end, it included this “Byleth” character, along with the names of the Four Saints, the wielders’ greatest allies when they took down Seiros. 

Khalid was sort of pissed that his own ancestor didn’t have a better, more coherent way of depicting his own account on the events. It reminded him of students at the academy who wrote too much and had to go off the layout to write at the corner of the paper to finish their essays in a strange rope of crushed words. And the worst part was, he needed to read the entire thing or else nothing would make sense.

He sighed, taking his hand off the wall. “I suppose we’d better get back to town… There’s nothing I can do here.” He saw confusion seep into his friend’s pink gaze. “Really? That was quick. So you really can’t read all this?”

“There’s no way I can read all this in the time given to me. I imagine Dimitri and Edelgard have waited long enough.” He sighed once again, letting frustration enter his voice. “If only my parents didn’t delay me from checking this out earlier… For now, I’ll let Nader and some scholars decipher this and send their findings. The ending may be the same as Loog’s and Wilhelm’s, but I can’t take any chances.”  
Hilda nodded and skipped back outside the room, most likely eager to get out of the cold. Khalid reluctantly followed her, casting one more gaze at the parting words on the ceiling. Why did ancient people always have to be so complicated in their motivations behind the things they left behind?

\-------

The clouds were beginning to turn a smooth teal below Khalid’s white wyvern, whose wide pink wings flapped so broadly, allowing all to hear the satisfying sound of wind being firmly pushed down. Here above the clouds, Khalid had time to think, which he inwardly appreciated greatly, especially now. 

What would the Shadow Crystal look like now? What kind of person was this Byleth?

The last time he’d heard from Dimitri was about five days before, right when Khalid planned to visit him for Fodlan’s Saint Cichol Day and his birthday, although he had been late when the letter had arrived from Faerghus. He had no idea if Byleth had woken up or something and already started to leer at him. Now that he was crossing into Fodlan, however, Khalid remembered that Dimitri warned him that Fhirdiad was freezing, even in the summer, and it was the beginning of Twilight Moon, and he only packed moderately warm clothes.

Khalid scratched his sideburns and looked up at the darkening blue sky, and saw that stars were starting to peek out of the sun's dying milky light. For the past 5 days, they’d been stopping as soon as the sky became like this, but Fhirdiad was just so close.

His white partner seemed to agree with him, beating her wings at a stronger pace, her head now tilted downwards, signifying that her target was clear. By now, of course, Khalid recognized the biting chill that Dimitri had described to him when they were still fellow students, and tightened his grip on the reins.

“We will reach Fhirdiad within the hour, my lord!” A vassal called from behind him. He turned back and nodded. He noticed that Hilda was about ready to keel over on her own brown wyvern, nodding off and legs looking limp. He guessed that she would fall over if her feet weren’t secure in the stirrup. She was never truly comfortable with flying, but back at the academy, she was a wonderful fighter atop her scaly friend, who stayed with her to this day. 

And was unfortunately forced to deal with her whining. 

Khalid could see his slight regret in his breath that came out as a puff of vapor. However, his feet were twitching in his stirrup with anticipation at finally landing after a long time in the skies. And while seeing the sun rise and descend from above the clouds was one of the most beautiful and gratifying sights he’d ever see, it was still cold, too cold to stay too long in the sight. It was much too nice for a human like him and his cold-fearing friend.

The half moon shone boldly on the horizon, daring to climb up higher and intimidate Khalid and his band from an even higher angle if he didn’t get the hell down from the clouds. How he envied that half moon, to be surrounded by such beautiful jewels adorning the skies. 

And how annoying it would be to descend from the clouds to have to be one with the ground once more. 

His beloved white friend was starting to slow down when he finally ducked down to see the palace of Fhirdiad surrounded by its sturdy gray-bricked walls, but the puffs of regret coming from Khalid’s mouth were becoming gentle sighs of relief and exhaustion. Hilda was finally somewhat alert from where she sat on her saddle, her pink eyes glazed with slight grogginess.

When he was able to touch the tops of the black fir trees began to tower over him from where he was, Khalid made out about a dozen figures by the entrance to the massive gate into the interior of the city, some of which held lanterns so they could see each other. He signaled to the rest to land in front of them, and he could feel his wyvern’s muscles relax, then tense again as soon as her talons touched the grass needles peeking out from under the white snow, prompting her to snort contemptuously.

Silently, Khalid couldn’t help but agree with her. It was going to be a long week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay and the short chapter! The next one is one that really like, so I hope you look forward to it.
> 
> Writers write what they know, and I know little. Feel free to voice your comments, concerns, questions, or advice down below!  
> Kudos are appreciated deeply.


	6. Everybody Loves the Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Three Gems reunite, and they face the imprisoned Shadow Crystal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back! Thank you for the kind comments, I really appreciate it. :) Thank you for waiting!

Dimitri stared at the busted jail cell. Well, “busted” was a severe understatement when trying to describe what he was looking at. The bars were destroyed, leaving only the ends at the top and bottom, which looked like they were melted off, or bitten off by some enormous beast with jaws that could snap even the strongest bones of any human. The large stone table where the previous inhabitant had been sitting had been vaporized as though it hadn’t even been there, and there was black residue all over the floor and walls. Looking at the scene from a first glance, one could conclude that an explosion had taken place. 

The baffling part of it that it was no beast that did the deed. It was just one woman.

Dimitri remembered seeing the horror on Byleth’s face as she registered his confession that she’d been asleep for more than several days. He hadn’t expected her to get so worked up, much less destroy a jail cell with her unstable mental state. No matter what, her reaction wasn’t normal, and she kept mumbling things that he couldn’t make out from where he stood beyond the bars. 

The Shadow Crystal embedded in her shoulder began to pulse with a purple light, except it pulsed quickly, and Dimitri could only watch as the light grew so large that it formed an orb around its owner and began to swallow everything in its way. That included the stone table, and the sturdy iron bars that kept almost any prisoner from escaping, that just disintegrated at the slightest touch from the pulsing force field coming from the distraught woman. 

She floated in the middle of that orb, clutching at her head and shaking it violently, in the same position as if she were still chained on the table. When the bars were destroyed, Dimitri had jumped back, unsure of how to handle it, until the Blue Gem began to sparkle and pulse slowly. Instinctively, he held his right hand out to the force field, and it opened up a hole, almost retreating from the light of the Gem. 

And once the hole could fit him inside, Dimitri slipped within and held it to the Shadow Crystal, which began to die down in response. Byleth began to lower from where she sat suspended in the air, and gently descended down onto the floor. Dimitri caught her before she hit the ground, and kept his right hand above the Crystal until it darkened back into its dormant state.

Byleth opened her eyes, only slightly, and she muttered something that he, again, could not make out for the life of him, then passed out, her entire body limp. 

That was two days before. Dimitri ordered that she be put in a guest room in the palace with her cuffs. He hadn’t forgotten that she requested a warmer environment. Or, rather, his cloak. And he wasn’t sure about this woman when it came to many things, such as the nature of her background or motives… But he understood one thing with absolute clarity. 

Byleth was dangerous. Unintentionally, undeniably dangerous. 

He came to the first part, “unintentionally” after careful analysis of her behavior. He figured the wielder of the Shadow Crystal would be more of a villain. He thought that she would recognize the Blue Gem immediately and see that he was a descendant of Loog, that she would threaten him and spout the agenda of her people and wish death and misfortune upon his own people.

Something… Other than what he witnessed from her. That confusion, bewilderment. Pure, pure confusion. There was no trace of acting in her. He heard from one of the guards outside of her cell that she asked him if he were _alright_. Casually. With no trace of deception.

And it seemed like she took no pride in the Shadow Crystal being hers, which went against the content of Loog’s journal, which stated that Seiros and her ilk were practically enslaved to the Shadow Crystal. Byleth, however, didn’t even seem to know the true nature of the stone in her shoulder. She covered it, addressed it as her _wound_ , as if it was a burden.

This woman, whose very existence foretold the end of Fodlan, was baffling through and through, from her bodily functions to her personality. 

Dimitri heard the door to the prison open, and a tan man walked in, hand on his hip and an easy smile on his face. Dimitri could not help but return the smile. “Good morning, King Khalid. I hope you slept well.” He called. Claude shook his head and sighed, walking up to the blonde monarch. “Yeah, no. I got here about a few hours before sunrise.”

“You are entitled to a few more hours of rest.” Dimitri noted, slightly widening his eyes. “Byleth is still asleep.” Claude clapped a hand on his shoulder twice, prompting Dimitri to smile again. “No need, your Kingliness. It’s rude to be late to a primary color party.”

At that, the two exchanged an embrace, and Dimitri felt affection spread warmth throughout his body. It felt wonderful to see one of his closest friends from the academy from Garreg Mach. Although Claude could be slightly annoying, it was only slight, and they got along swimmingly, even without the fact that they both held Gems in their palms. At the academy, when the two of them, including Edelgard got together for tea or some other get-together, Claude frequently referred to it as a “primary color party”, something that had the other two rolling their eyes fondly.

“It is good to see you, my friend,” Dimitri said after pulling away. “I’ve heard that El is also awake.”

Before Claude could respond, a brunette woman clad in red stepped into the room, followed by her right-hand man, Hubert, who stood silently by the door. Edelgard’s face unfolded with a smile as she walked briskly to the other two and wrapped her arms around both of them in a tight hug, which allowed chuckles to erupt from Dimitri and Claude, who returned it graciously. 

“It seems I’m late to the primary color party.” Edelgard said, her voice light, after she pulled away to see them, her lavender eyes shining with joy. “What a shame, and it’s our five-year reunion.” Claude clicked his tongue jokingly. “And I took you for the punctual type, Emperor. I suppose girl things do take more time.”

The emperor slapped his arm gently, a light blush dusting her face. “I’d rather not hear that from someone whose hair is messy.” She retorted.

Dimitri watched the banter with a chuckle, shutting his eyes in boyish delight at seeing his dear friends again. Once the laughter died down, the two began to notice the destroyed jail cell. Claude whistled, while Edelgard placed a hand on the adjacent wall close to the melted bars. “I’m assuming that Byleth did this?” Claude asked, cautiously stepping inside the cell. 

“Yes,” Dimitri replied, stepping closer to the two of them. “She raised no hands, however. She fell victim to a breakdown.” He relayed the events of the days before to the two; not just about Byleth’s awakening, or her examination but what he discussed with Mercedes. Their eyes widened slightly at the new information, and began to look thoughtful.

“You shouldn’t have told her anything,” Edelgard concluded bluntly, a hand on her chin. “We could have gotten more information out of her that way. I’m assuming that you got flustered and told her of what transpired before she woke up?”

“If you’d seen what I’d seen, that pure look on her face, you might’ve done the same, El.” Dimitri fought down the will to look away from her, but judging from her slight smirk, he was probably blushing. He did get flustered far too easily. “If it’s alright, I’d like you two to come with me when she awakens to speak with her.”

Edelgard shook her head, dropping the smile. “The very idea that we should keep her alive is ludicrous, Dimitri. I may not be one for traditions, but the instructions given to us from birth were clear. The Shadow Crystal cannot be left alone. If it did this,” she said, gesturing to the cell, “then she has the potential to destroy Fhirdiad. I say, we take no chances.”

“That may be true. And at first, I had the same idea as you when Mercedes first approached me,” Dimitri admitted. “but, after meeting Byleth firsthand, I understand that she was right when she said that something was odd. I only ask that you meet her. If she displays evidence that she is a clear and present danger, then we will do what must be done.”

“I think I’m with Dimitri on this one.” Claude piped in. “We all know Dimitri’s a big naive softie, but he’s no liar. I think we should give the girl a chance. I’m interested in all the mysteries she has hidden beneath the surface. After all, the key to taking her out is just the three of us putting our right hands up.”

Edelgard let out a sigh, eyes narrowing in exasperation. “You always have some ulterior motive…” Claude put his hands up defensively. “Untrue. It’s only true in this instance but not always. Just think, best case scenario, we could get her to tell us about her kind, and who’s pulling her strings.”

“You want to use her to betray her own people?” Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow. The plan seemed unrealistic at best. Claude glanced back at him, mischief dancing in his emerald eyes. “That’s why I said, ‘best case scenario’. Doesn’t have to be a reality, but it sure would be nice if it became one.” 

The brunette woman furrowed her brow and shook her head again. “That’s only if she wakes up, yes? Were you listening when Dimitri said she’d been asleep for several days? Exactly when will it be when we get results?”

“About that,” Dimitri chipped in. “I had Mercedes check her again. She was more responsive than last time, grumbling in her sleep and the like. Whenever she wakes up, it won’t be as delayed as last time.”

After a few moments of silence, Edelgard relented. “Fine. We’ll see what happens, then, won’t we? Take us there, Dimitri.”

As the thick snow melted around the city of Fhirdiad, the townspeople's spirit seemed to warm along with it, and under the bright and cloudless sun, they toiled away at their daily tasks. As Dimitri witnessed them, he felt a wave of affection for his people wash over him. The people of Faerghus, the land that yielded little in terms of agriculture, were slightly skinnier than normal, but their hardiness was something to behold as they continued to live their lives to the fullest.

The prison was not far from the palace, but they still required a carriage, something that Edelgard disliked. It was such a lovely day, too. During the carriage ride, he noticed with a smile that Edelgard’s eyes were drifting to the bakeries and sweet shops. Hubert whispered something in her ear, to which she blushed almost as red as her clothes, shaking her head violently.

In front of the palace, he was met by a soldier who seemed frantic to get to him. As soon as Dimitri stepped out, the soldier rushed to him. “Is something wrong?” he asked, tilting his head. The man lifted his head. “The guest is awake, Your Majesty.”

Claude threw a smirk at Edelgard, who crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in return. “Understood.” Dimitri replied. “Well then, it seems our plan doesn’t change.” He said, quieter to Claude and Edelgard. They both nodded and followed him into the palace doors.

“I’ve actually never been in here before yesterday.” Claude thought aloud as they were led down the hall. Edelgard sighed. “Why _would_ you be in here other than on official business? I’m not sure you can just waltz in here whenever you like.” 

“Almyra is quite far, it’s unrealistic for you to fly here, given the inconvenience.” Dimitri added. The tan man lifted his head and smiled. “That’s true. If only there was a way for the Warp spell to extend as far as we wanted… I could ask Linhardt to look into it for me!”

“You are _not_ asking Linhardt for such a thing.” Edelgard deadpanned. “I shudder to think how you would abuse such a gift.” Dimitri had to cover his laugh. He could also shudder at the image of Claude popping anywhere and everywhere uninvited.

Before long they stood in front of a guest room door on the lower floors, reserved for visiting nobles. They could hear no loud noises from inside. Dedue stepped forward and turned the door handle, opening it with an easy push. 

The guest room was comfortable and warm, with a bathroom complete with a bath and a sink in the back, as well as a large bed with extra blankets just for this particularly cold guest, along with a desk and closet. The window was fairly large and allowed sunlight to filter through straight towards the door. The blinding light almost prevented the people entering from seeing the woman by the window.

Of course, this woman was Byleth. She seemed like a statue as she sat, head turned to the window. Not a sound, not a movement. If she heard the door open, she didn’t register it. It was like a painting. It prompted those at the door to spread out into the room, stepping quietly as if trying not to disturb her.

Although her wrists were chained together, she kept her hands on her lap as if she were free. Her black hair cascaded down her back, and the Shadow Crystal gave a purple reflection of its own as it sparkled from where it lay embedded in Byleth’s left shoulder. She wore a light blue gown, barefoot with her feet flat on the floor. It seemed that she had pulled the chair from the desk over to the window, and just stared out at it. She seemed so peaceful that she was out of place as a prisoner. 

It took everyone a moment before they moved again. Dimitri swallowed and called out to her. “Byleth… Byleth!” It took at least three more from him as well as Dedue, before she slowly turned around. For a split second, her lips were slightly parted and her black eyes were shimmering gently. Her cheeks were flushed, and the look on her face could only be described as… full of awe. Awe at something so unfamiliar that she couldn’t help but go to another realm of fantasy at the amount of feelings that ran through her at whatever she saw.

Deep in his mind, Dimitri knew he would never forget it. 

However, that split second passed as quickly as it came, and shock exploded on her face, and she let out a small scream at their presence. Dimitri was almost relieved at such a human reaction. “What-what are you doing here?! You didn’t knock! Who are all of you!!” All traces of tranquility were gone from her demeanor, and she curled up in her seat, hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were wild with fear and surprise until they rested on him. Then she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in recognition. “Wait… I know you. Aren’t you His Majesty, King Dimitri?”

Dimitri let out a breath he had no idea he’d been holding in, and placed a hand over his chest. “Y… Yes. I have returned.” At that, Byleth looked down at her feet in bewilderment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edelgard glance at him. 

“So you’re the famous Byleth.” Claude spoke up, effectively breaking the crisp silence and slight awe that everyone in the room had been in. Byleth tensed up and narrowed her eyes at Claude. The latter was undeterred and continued, sizing her up. “It really is like you said, Your Kingliness. We have a strange one on our hands.”

The black haired woman sniffed at him, then darted her eyes straight at Dimitri. “Am I to believe that you brought even more people to spout things at me and observe me like I’m some sort of animal? Is that what’s happening, King Dimitri?” Taken aback by the cold rage in her voice, Dimitri felt his breath hitch in his throat. That was exactly what he was doing, and from her perspective, it would certainly seem uncouth. From his own perspective it felt rude. 

“You’re quite the informal one,” Edelgard remarked, addressing Byleth. “Tell me, are you not aware of us?”

Frustration oozed off of the pale skinned Byleth as she scoffed and shook her head. Her black eyes glinted with distrust. “Great. More word games. I would really like to know what crime I’ve committed for the punishment of deliberate and constant confusion. I don’t know who any of you are, I don’t know what any of you are, other than annoying.”

Edelgard widened her eyes in quiet shock, but lifted a hand to her chin in thought. She looked as though she was about to say more before Claude once again jumped in. “Well, then, little lady. I suppose we’ll have to introduce ourselves. You can call me, Claude von Riegan, King of Almyra, but just call me Claude. This is-” He gestured to Edelgard, about to introduce her when she waved his hand away and stepped forward, slight irritation showing on her features.

“I am fully capable of introducing myself. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of Adrestia.” She announced, placing a hand over her chest and straightening her already perfect posture.

Byleth stared at them with what looked like more confusion and distrust, but now disinterest had made its way into the heated mixture in her black orbs. Her eyebrows were furrowed into a glare, and she sat her body not facing them as a show of complete, intentional and utter disrespect. She looked like a petulant child who didn’t want to hear any lectures. After a moment, she turned her head away, muttering, “You already know who I am, I suppose, so there’s no need to introduce myself.”

Claude heard and responded, “That’s right, Byleth. We do know exactly who you are!” Dimitri held back a sigh when he noticed Byleth’s brow furrow even further from his words. But he continued. “Don’t worry. If you want to know what crime you’ve committed, we’ll tell you right now.” 

At that moment, Claude glanced at Dimitri and Edelgard. Realization sparked in his chest at the silent signal, and he turned over his shoulder to send his own at Dedue, who waited behind him faithfully. The dark-skinned man bowed lightly, and left through the door, Hubert following behind. It was the four of them in the room, now, alone.

Four bearers of history. The one who would bring darkness to the world, and the ones who could shed light upon it. Three against one. 

As she looked away, Byleth’s eyes returned to the window, back to the shining sun. Once again, she was enraptured by the sky, and although Dimitri was loath to pull her away from something that seemed to make her so happy, he called to her nonetheless. “Alright, Byleth. Please, ask as many questions as you prefer. It would not be right for you to be the only one left in the dark.”

Edelgard looked at him with an eyebrow raised, but the young king still trained his eyes on her. When Byleth turned back this time, annoyance pricked at the corner of her lips into a deep frown. “What do you want from me?” She asked firmly. 

Ah. That was most likely the hardest question. However, the brunette woman stepped forward, enviable confidence radiating off of her. “I can answer that for you. What we ‘want’ is for Fodlan to know peace. And, in short, you are in the way of that.”

“How?!” Byleth shot back immediately, her voice rising in volume. “Was the crime that I committed so devastating? Was I drunk? Because I have no recollection of it!” When she said that, however, Byleth looked to the floor and mumbled to herself, eyes narrowed and darting left to right. 

“It’s because of your wound. Or, rather, the Shadow Crystal.” Edelgard replied coolly. “That very Crystal is the one the three of us have been tasked with destroying.”

Byleth’s eyes shot up at her, and for the first time since they entered the room, she was focused. This time, her eyes shone with something akin to… Hope. “Destroy? You can destroy this? You can get this off of me?” 

This woman somehow got more unnerving by the minute. Why, why did she have to look so happy at the thought of something she should have been proud of, gone from her life, like some sort of parasite? Dimitri placed a hand to cover his chin, looking at Byleth. From the corner of his eye, he could see uncertainty put a crack in Edelgard’s confident posture. She shifted her hand to the side of her hip and gently cleared her throat.

“We can certainly destroy it, but is that truly what you want?” She questioned, leaning in gently. Byleth, in turn, leaned slightly back as if the distance between them weren’t so wide. Her features became neutral, but almost unfeeling. It seemed that she was contemplating something. “This wound,” She began, placing a hand over the crystal on her left shoulder. “is not what I want. But I bear it, or else I will disappoint someone dear to my heart. _People_ dear to my heart.” Neither her tone nor face gave anything away. It was strange to see, since she’d been rather expressive up until this point. 

“Interesting. Are you talking about the people of Agartha?” Claude piped in, a smirk rising to his lips. Byleth simply blinked in return. “How much do you know about me?”

Dimitri decided it was his time to explain. “We will not hide it from you. We’ve known about you from the moment we were born. It is because of these.” He lifted up his right hand and took a deep breath, and reached for the straps on his gauntlet.

“Dimitri, are you sure?” He heard Edelgard murmur quickly. “There is no point in hiding them from her.” He replied, not looking up. Once the straps were undone, he heard rustling coming from the other two, who he assumed were removing the covers on their hands as well. He stared at the Blue Gem, his unresponsive Blue Gem in his right hand and gently held it out for Byleth to see.

He didn’t know if they would suddenly activate and potentially incapacitate or kill her if they got too close, so he didn’t make a move. However, Byleth squinted and got up from her seat, taking cautious steps toward them. Cold apprehension sparked in his chest as she moved, watching the Crystal for any signs of glowing. 

As the three of them held their hands out for Byleth to see, she stared at their palms in slight interest. Then, gradually, her face lit up, until she snatched the closest hand near her, which was Edelgard’s, and _beamed_. “You three are just like me. Why are yours’ so pretty? I wish I could cover them as well as you can. Why didn’t you tell me before...” 

She was cut off when the Adrestian Emperor pulled her hand away in utter surprise, her mouth slightly gaping and struck dumb. “Just like… you… what…?” She sputtered. Dimitri slightly shook his head as he noticed that it was practically the same reaction he had when he first met her about her ignorance. Claude, however, kept his surprise silent as he brought his exposed hand through his hair, exhaling through his nose, but he seemed to use his entire body with that one. His green eyes darted to Dimitri. _What the fresh hell are we dealing with?_ He silently communicated. 

The woman in question looked between the three of them had her once bright smile dim into a slightly somber expression, underlying a majorly cold expression. She moved back to the chair in which she sat and turned her head to the window. “Never mind. I don’t need you to destroy it.” She stated rigidly. “If you’re done, could you please leave me alone now? I’m tired of your eyeballs constantly popping out of their sockets when you look at me.”

Dimitri was tempted to go over and try and comfort her. The hurt in her voice was evident to him. But he needed to get the answers that they needed, even if it meant hurting her like this, examining her like a specimen. It was for the good of his people, he repeated. He was going to make that his mantra. He had to.

But the person within him, the person who wished to be in a good relationship with as many people as he could, the person who wanted to help everyone in any way he could, fought against the King of Faerghus. And so, watching her sit by herself in the chair, watching the sky so intently, he felt his lips open to speak.

“Do you… like to look at the sun?” 

It was quiet, but he was sure that she heard it from the silence of the room. Edelgard and Claude looked at him with their brows raised, but they were quiet. Byleth turned her head slightly, looking less empty. The slight glimmer of awe was unmistakable. “It’s been nearly ten years since I’ve seen the sky.” She admitted.

“Ten years…?” Claude echoed. “You spent all that time underground?”

“I used to train with my Papa, on days just like this…” She trailed off, placing a hand on the window. Her reflection didn’t show her face, but Dimitri could hear the longing in her voice. The mention of her father pushed a feeling of warm empathy to his throat, and he swallowed it down. Byleth looked back at them, her eyes training on Dimitri. 

“I’m out of the loop, aren’t I? You three see this every single day, right?” She asked gently. “That’s why you’re not… bedazzled every time you go near a window. I see the sun in books.” With that, she tilted her head back, looking up. “I’m glad to see that you haven't changed, at the very least…”

The agony lingered on her voice this time like a strong scent. He could only watch her, as he was still afraid that he would accidentally kill her. But she was only genuine. There was nothing in her demeanor, her voice, her actions that betrayed any deceit. She was laying herself bare, in front of the three of them. 

While he gazed absentmindedly, she turned back to them, left shoulder first. Dimitri’s heart clenched with guilt once again at the tiredness swimming in her eyes. And hearing her next words, for some reason, all three of them were compelled to listen, to understand, to obey. “Please… Won’t you just… Leave me alone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers write what they know, and I know little. Please feel free to drop some love in the comments, as well as concerns, complaints, questions and anything you'd like! I love comments. 
> 
> Kudos are appreciated!
> 
> My twitter is OuchieMimi30, insta(preferred) is singasongabout_dimitri


	7. Thoughts as the Snow Melts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shadow Crystal sits in isolation once again, and has time to contemplate on her bizarre situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Getting this one out was like pulling teeth. Sorry for the delay, college applications are awful. Thank you for reading!

Night had settled peacefully over the city of Fhirdiad, yet through her window, Byleth could crane her neck to spot the scattered beads of lanterns on and within the houses and businesses. 

Byleth was finally able to count the days while she sat in the bright and beautiful room in the castle of Fhirdiad. She’d been there for more than 7 days, and by then she knew that no one was coming to save her. Not that she was in relative harm, either way.

Since the king and his friends had come to visit her once, she had not seen them for the next four days. Byleth was grateful that they took her request to heart, but now that she’d had some time to herself, she felt regret prick at her bare feet. It was the time she could have gotten answers to her many questions about her situation and she pretty much rejected them.

Especially since some of those questions included what Faerghus had to really offer, something outside of the same, outdated copy of _A History of the Founding of Faerghus_ her father had gifted her for her 6th birthday that she read from cover to cover alongside her dear friend Kronya. He said that it was his homeland, and she had a right to know about it. She’d also been gifted some encyclopedias from Adrestia and Leicester, both rich in their descriptions of flora and fauna as well as the food and cities, and it fed the curious animal within who wanted to go outside and see it all for herself.

And one day, after multiple rejections from her grandmother, she’d gotten her wish. Byleth remembered seeing Kronya’s cheeks puff up and her scarlet eyes burn with jealousy. “Lucky you, huh?” She had said. 

Her father had taken her out for two days to hunt and train outside, and Byleth remembers the first time she saw doors opening to the blinding day opening in front of her, feeling grass between her toes, feeling warm under the sun’s loving gaze. She remembers seeing her father smile so easily when they were outside, seeing his face crinkle with a laugh when she threw her fishing pole so awkwardly for the first time. 

Her time outside came every month, restricted by the natural border of the river where she would fish with her father. But Byleth was so happy, she couldn’t find it in herself to care about the specifics. The second that she heard the gentle whistle of the wind, and hearing the leaves dance along to the song of the breeze passing by, she really _could not mind_ if she was restricted from a second step outside of the underground city of Shambhalla.

It was also that time when Byleth learned the sword. She was very talented at swordplay, and the praises from her father washed over her, warm as the sun’s rays. Her feet would glide so swiftly on the grass and on the rocks, be it barefoot or with slippers, and she would fend off her father’s attacks with relative ease. 

However, one of her favorite weapons to use was no weapon at all. Yes, she would fistfight her father, even in the dark blue gowns that her mother gifted to her. Those cotton gowns would be stained with grass and dirt, but the rush Byleth felt as she threw and landed an uppercut, piercing through her father’s guard, heightening her strength as she lifted her leg for a kick to the chin. Truly, it was hand-to-hand that made her blood burn with excitement.

The only possible downside of being outside in the sunlight, was the sunburns Byleth would suffer when she stood outside of the tree’s shade for much too long. And even then, the pain seemed so _unimportant_ compared to what she experienced in the forest, on the outside. 

Those two days every month had become Byleth’s reason for being. It was the only thing she looked forward to; spending time with her father and breathing in fresh air after spending her entire life underground where the air was cold and stale, rendering her heart and mind stale as well. 

But after 7 months, it suddenly stopped. Byleth couldn’t exactly remember why, she just remembered that green had become red, her throat burned from screams that she couldn’t hear, her wound itching and her head hurting and her father… her father her father her father her father.

Byleth held the right side of her head, the pain splitting it as fierce and sudden as lightning splitting dark clouds. That was always where her memory stopped. But it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Why else would he have disappeared so suddenly without a trace, when he was so excited about going outside with her like he always was, every month. And then, along with Papa, her time outside had left, as quickly as it came. 

The next ten years were so much more empty, a hole in the city and a hole in Byleth’s heart. No matter how much she’d begged to go outside, if only to investigate what happened to her father, Grandmother would barely even let her train, let alone go outside. Her mother’s lips were also frustratingly shut, as though the grief had drowned out all of the energy in her eyes after that day. She talked less in general, stopped talking to Grandmother unless spoken to or commanded to do so. Even Kronya wasn’t allowed to visit her as often as she did before.

And now, Byleth was outside again. Thrown into spaces she’d never seen before, with chill she’d never felt before, floor she’d never experienced before, glass doors on the wall that let sunlight in, where she’d sit by every day(and maybe try to find a handle to open it). And yet, it was still the same situation. Locked in a room with no hope of getting out. 

She’d tried opening the door once, but it proved useless, as not only was the door regularly locked, but when it was carelessly unlocked, she would be pushed back into the room by a guard, sometimes violently, and the black haired prisoner repressed her reflex to block and utterly _smash his head in_ , but she knew that something would go wrong if she fought back. 

Even if it did piss her off.

Byleth was not completely discontented, of course. It was warm under the thick and fluffy blankets, she was not being starved(even if her food was being served without seeing the server’s face or hearing their voice), and she was able to _see outside_. No matter how many times she looked at the city of Fhirdiad below, she never got tired of seeing people go about their day and seeing the milky sunrise or peachy sunset. Or the white blanket that she saw first cover the town slowly melt away after each day in the sun. And the glittery stars that stretched across the dark blue canvas of the sky and glowing white blotch of the moon left her speechless. 

Just like on this night. And the loneliness of not being able to greet any of them down there was almost as crushing as it was in her home of Shambhalla. Except this situation may be better because at least she couldn’t make eye contact with them. If they acted like they couldn’t hear her, it’s because they genuinely couldn’t.

Byleth’s eyes darted directly below as she heard a grunt of effort. Her eyes zoomed onto what looked like the training ground. King Dimitri and Emperor Ladle or whatever her name was were sparring once again. Byleth couldn’t stop the smile from rising to her lips as she watched. The first time she’d seen it was about a few days before, alarm pumped at her heart until she realized that they weren’t actually trying to kill each other. 

At this angle, she could only see the tops of their heads, but she could easily tell that both of them were skilled fighters, despite being nobility. From her books, she read that royalty were meant to be elegant, their presence commanding respect from all who bore eyes on them. But apparently, Fodlan bore kings who knew their way around a lance _and_ a sword. But she had never actually witnessed nobles like them fight, especially not each other. 

Every time those two entered the training ground, Byleth would spend _hours_ staring at their footwork, their backs rolling as they swung their weapons. Sometimes the Emperor had the advantage with her seemingly impenetrable defense and decisive swings. But the blue King wasn’t just quick, Byleth guessed from his movements that he had a reservoir of unmatched strength. She also guessed that from the effortless way he’d pick up and wield the same lance his soldiers were struggling to even lift hours before.

Byleth spent many, many, many hours staring out the window at the training ground.

She jumped when she heard the door open and two women stepped inside. One was blue haired and the other a light blonde. At once, she curled up against the wall, her eyes narrowing. They didn’t seem harmless… But neither did Byleth, or so she was told by her Papa. 

“Hello… How are you today?” The light blonde woman smiled and greeted coolly. The blue-haired one looked like she was struggling to maintain eye contact. Ah, another person afraid of Byleth. How wonderful. “And you are?” Byleth responded, trying to exude a calm demeanor. 

“My name is Mercedes. And this is Marianne.” She replied, gesturing to the woman behind her. “We’re healers.” Byleth lifted an eyebrow at that. “It’s nice to meet you, but I’m not hurt. I’m not sure I need a healer…” She trailed off when she saw Mercedes put a hand to her mouth and giggle, obviously unbothered. 

“Oh, we’re just here to give you a checkup. His Majesty, King Dimitri asked us, you see.” Then she stopped and looked Byleth straight in the eye, and she’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t even a little creeped out. “Are you comfortable with that?”

Byleth looked down at her feet and thought for a moment. It might be bad for her if she said no, considering that she was on thin ice with these people already. The woman behind her looked like she was going to collapse from pressure. It would be better to establish trust with these women. Maybe she could be let outside the room without anyone freaking out. So, Byleth lifted her head and looked back at the patiently smiling Mercedes, then nodded. 

Mercedes and Marianne then guided her to the bed and made her sit up straight. Tension seemed to be lifted off of both of them at her acceptance, something that made Byleth a little more hopeful herself. She stayed silent as they both lifted their hands, which then glowed different colors and were waved all around Byleth’s body. Mercedes, however, broke the silence. “I’m sorry that you can’t leave the room… I know you’re confused. I would say a few more days before Dimitri sees you again and we can ask him if it’s alright for you to explore the castle.”

“O-oh, yes!” The blue-haired woman spoke up suddenly as she was waving her hands over Byleth’s abdomen. “Dimitri is a kind and understanding person… I think we could talk to him…” They both had soft and calming voices. No wonder they were healers. Byleth replied in a slow and steady voice. “I’d… like to see the training ground.”

Mercedes looked up and gave another kind grin. “Ah, so you’d like to train? You can certainly see the training ground from this window.” Byleth pursed her lips and felt her face heat up, feeling slightly embarrassed that she thought they were threats and that she revealed to them one of her deepest desires. Mercedes giggled once again and asked, “Do you have anything else that you like?”

“I… like to cook. I used to cook for my Papa.” Damn it, now the faucet was broken and she was spilling things out like a fool. She had no clue why she felt the need to pour her heart out to these two strangers. However, the aches of isolation, not being able to talk to anyone, while she was used to them, were real, and being able to converse like this was like a long-awaited drink of fresh water. “You like to cook? So do I!” Exclaimed Mercedes, her smile slowly becoming even more radiant. “Though I like to bake cakes and other sweets more than savory foods.”

“Um…” Marianne murmured, a pink hue growing on her cheeks as she tried to continue. “What do you like to make? I’m not very skilled at cooking like Mercedes, but I’ve been trying to learn…”

Byleth studied her as she worked. She felt emboldened by this woman’s courage and said, “I like to cook fish and meat. With parsley. I used to read cookbooks that Papa would give to me and from the drawings, it looked like parsley made every dish prettier and tastier. Though I couldn’t really taste it…”

By this time, both of the healers were finished, and had stood up straight while Byleth talked on and on about her hobbies. Time seemed to slow down as she spilled out random topics of conversation that either of them brought up, and to Byleth’s pleasure, both of the rather lovely ladies were able to sigh out a few laughs and crack smiles at her engagement. 

“You’ve never touched a horse before?” Marianne exclaimed, a little louder and with more surprise in her voice than Byleth would have expected. Byleth shook her head. “I’ve only seen horses from far away. If I got too close, my Grandmother or Mother would scold me because they’re dangerous.”

“No, that’s not right,” the blue haired healer shook her head with newfound passion. “horses are gentle, loving creatures. Like humans, they have just as much potential for kindness as they do for violence. They won’t hurt you if you don’t intend to hurt them.” Byleth nodded along, interested. “Do you really think the king will let me touch a horse? My mother always said that horses are frightful compared to humans. I scare humans.” She added with a touch of bitterness that rose up from her gut to her vocal chords.

“Horses will feel malicious intent. If they don’t feel any from you, you have nothing to fear.” Marianne soothed, her smile growing at the corners of her mouth with each word. “You just have to let it get to know you.”

Mercedes nodded in agreement. “Do you know Dedue? The tall man who follows Dimitri?” Byleth could picture him in her mind. He was striking to her, even if she’d seen him one or two times. His skin was a deep brown, his face littered with cut scars but smooth like Byleth’s brown leather boots that she used to wear outside with her father. It was the opposite of her skin, nearly stark porcelain white, and more often than not, for the past few days, she wanted to compare skin with him. “What about him?” Byleth replied after nodding.

“Horses were terrified of poor Dedue until he learned that a kind presence was all it took for animals to understand him.” It seemed that speaking of this Dedue person made Mercedes smile especially wide, and she continued. “Although, Dedue’s resting expression is… oh, how shall I say it? Misleading. But, like Dimitri, he’s one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet.”

Seeing the two of them speak so highly of both the king and Dedue brought a drop of sadness into Byleth’s temporary joy, a dark dye clouding clear water. She looked down at her lap. Her wrists were still chained. Her smile dropped, and she clenched her fists. No matter what she did, it seemed that she would always inspire fear.

All because of her wound.

Byleth looked back up and saw concern darkening both Mercedes and Marianne’s expressions. “What’s wrong…?” Marianne murmured. Byleth swallowed her saliva twice before answering. “Can you tell me… what you know about the…” The black haired woman stopped to swallow. “the Shadow Crystal?”

Before either of them had a chance to answer, a knock on the door interrupted the conversation. A hot wave of impatience washed over Byleth as she glared at the shut door. “Go away!” She called irritably. She was caught off guard by Mercedes’ hand on her thigh. The pale-haired healer looked to the door. “Who is it?” She called gently.

“His Majesty and I are here to check on the prisoner.” A smooth and deep voice answered from behind the door. Marianne looked back at Byleth and whispered. “Ah, it’s Dedue and Dimitri…” The knowledge of who it was didn’t seem to cull her frustration. In fact, nervousness piled at her gut now that the king was here. Maybe she could ask him about seeing the outside of the room.

At Mercedes’ acceptance, both the dark-skinned man named Dedue and King Dimitri stepped inside the room, keeping a distance from Byleth, which annoyed her to no end. However, she noticed that he wasn’t wearing his armor now- instead he sported a black turtleneck and pants that were tucked under furred boots. And, his blue, toasty-looking furred cape.

Byleth could see a quiet surprise on Dimitri’s features before he bowed lightly. “Good evening, Mercedes, Marianne… and you, too, Byleth.” Byleth turned her head away in silent protest while she heard the other two greet him. “Good evening, Dimitri. Oh, that reminds me… Marianne had something to say to you!” She added lightly. 

Byleth turned her head back and saw the carob-eyed woman stand up abruptly, nearly knocking her seat over. As Marianne apologized quickly, Byleth noticed her cheeks were pinker than usual, and darted her eyes quickly to Dimitri, who had an inviting smile on his face as he beheld the blue-haired healer. “Oh, um… yes, I did… would you, um… may I take a walk with you throughout the castle? I, um… I really think it’s beautiful and I would love to see more… if that’s alright.” 

Byleth suppressed a wince. It sounded like she had been practicing the line beforehand, but her nervousness had come back to haunt her at the last moment. When she moved her eyes somewhere else, Byleth noticed that Dedue’s cerulean eyes were boring into hers. Perturbed, she looked back at her lap. 

“Ah, please, forgive my rudeness. You came all this way; I owe you a tour of the castle.” Dimitri replied amicably. “Unfortunately, I am unable to do it tonight. I have time tomorrow afternoon, if that is alright with you, Marianne…” 

“O-oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you, Dimitri…” Dimitri returned the thanks, and Marianne sat back down, a bright smile spread across her face. 

“Byleth,” the young king continued. Byleth kept her eyes to her lap. “my apologies for not visiting you. I merely have a few more questions to ask, and I’m sure you are the same.”

The young woman snorted. “Surprising. You didn’t bring all of your friends to mock the prisoner today, your Majesty.” She sneered, emphasizing the last word resentfully. 

Dedue growled lowly in response. “You _will_ respect His Majesty. You are lucky to be alive, even now-” Before Byleth could retort, Dimitri placed an arm in front of the larger man silently, his mouth curved downwards into a frown. “Dedue. That’s enough.” Dedue bowed his head in apology to his liege.

The room was wrapped in silence for a few seconds until the king spoke again. Both Mercedes and Marianne’s smiles were gone, and guilt squeezed Byleth’s gut. The three of them were having fun chatting before the king came inside. She probably could have gotten answers out of the two, at the very least if he hadn’t come inside after about a week of not visiting her. Why _now?_

Dimitri spoke in a lower, more assuring tone. “I understand your anger. Hate me if you must. However, for the safety of my people, I must gauge if you are a threat. For the past week, you have not been a threat, at all.”

To that, Byleth perked up. Had he somehow… “One of my mages has been keeping an eye on you, you see.” Then, he turned to the two ladies and nodded at them. To Byleth’s dread, Mercedes and Marianne stood up and prepared to leave. Her mouth flapped open and closed, and she stuck her hand out in protest. “W-wait, don’t…”

But they were already almost out the door. Mercedes looked back to Byleth and smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry, Byleth. Next time, I’ll bring tea and desserts!” The raven-haired prisoner only looked on sadly, gently lowering her hands as the healer gently closed the door behind her, leaving Byleth with Dimitri and Dedue.

For the first time in about three weeks, she felt like crying her head off. Byleth looked back down at her lap and chewed her lip, hoping she’d draw blood. She heard the chair that Marianne sat in screech lightly and get occupied once more. It was probably Dimitri. “Byleth…” He murmured softly. “At this moment, I know that you must despise me.”

“What. Do you want?” She asked between gritted teeth, refusing to look up.

The young monarch spoke slowly. “I am just here to check on you.” 

“What for?” You’re just going to make that stupid face at me again, Byleth added internally. “I thought that was what Mercedes and Marianne were for. You’re not needed here, Your Majesty.” She spat, this time laying down, her back facing the two men.

However, Dimitri continued to speak. “I know you must despise me…” he repeated. “You mentioned that you’d been isolated during your time at home, and I understand that this situation isn’t any different for you.” Byleth said nothing. “Being left with your own thoughts can be… crushing, sometimes.” Still nothing. 

A sigh preceded his next words. “I was told that you look out the window more often than not throughout the day. Tell me…” His voice dropped, almost dangerously. “Are you wondering if someone will come save you?”

“No.” she responded quietly, the anger leaving her voice in one breath. Flashes of all of the people at home appeared before her eyes. She could almost smell her mother’s perfume. “No one’s coming. I guarantee that much. If what you say is true… about me being in that sack? No one’s coming for me. I was left here.”

A thick and muddy despair followed after those words left her mouth, and Byleth could feel hot tears prick the corners of her eyes, and her nose get significantly warmer. She sniffled against her better judgement. “I was left here…” She repeated softly, hearing it in her mind a few more times. 

During her time in solitude, Byleth had the time to contemplate countless things. She’d been dumped in a sack and left, buried in a frosty forest far, far away from Agartha, left to die only to be discovered by Faerghan soldiers. Remember certain people, like her father, mother, her grandmother, and everyone else she was convinced had some semblance of affection for her.

Shambhala was an isolated, but kind city. Everywhere she went, she would get smiles and friendly shouts from the people around her. Poor Pappy Solon who could never seem to beat his own cold no matter how many amazing inventions he created… sweet Kronya who was her sole companion during playdates, who shared Byleth's fervent desire to leave Shambhalla's walls and explore... and Uncle Thales, who pet her head and reminded her to eat her vegetables when her parents weren’t looking and she was about to throw away her plate. 

Had they truly left her behind? Everyone? Would Grandmother really leave her alone in a place like _Fhridiad?_

By now, Byleth’s tears had spilled over her nose and into her right ear. She continued to sniffle and tried to keep her whimpering to a minimum, but it was certainly audible. The black-eyed woman made no move to wipe her tears. 

She turned back to the young monarch, who still had his eyes on her. Both his and his retainer’s eyes widened as wide as dinner plates, and this time, Byleth was too tired to get mad about it. “B-Byleth…” Dimitri sputtered in shock. “Your tears…”

The look on his face made Byleth’s body hot with embarrassment, and she stopped to sniffle and rub her eyes with her wrist. The mark it left was like she had made a mistake with deep ink and rubbed a streak on her wrist with it. When she rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, there were black markings smudged on her hands, spread even further around. 

Byleth saw a cloth in front of her, and when she focused her sight, she realized that it was a handkerchief. A blue handkerchief, with a stitching of some angular pattern on it. The hand that held it belonged to Dimitri. His face was etched with concern. Caught off guard, Byleth stared at him and took the handkerchief from him. “Thank you.” She said, her nasal canal blockage throwing her voice off. She blew her nose in a very unladylike fashion with a loud _honk_ , then dabbed at her eyes, which were still pushing out some tears.

The handkerchief was stained with black when she pulled away, and she looked at the king in apology. Dimitri’s blue eyes had softened, and he shook his head slowly, a slight smile on his lips. “Please, you may keep it. I have more.” He assured her softly. Byleth nodded, looking away and stared back at the ruined handkerchief in guilt. 

“Byleth.” He heard his voice again, firmer. She slowly looked up. The king’s eyes were filled with determination and friendliness. “Tomorrow, I want to show you the training ground.” And her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “Wh-what?”

Dedue’s eyes widened too, and he took a step closer to his liege. “Your Majesty, are you certain?” Dimitri only nodded in response, smiling confidently. “I speak only the truth.” He turned back to the prisoner. “What do you say, Byleth?”

Byleth, in a very unladylike fashion, sniffled and nodded her head vigorously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers write what they know, and I know little. Please feel free to voice your concerns, questions, complaints, advice or suggestions or whatever in the comments! It really does help me out. But don't be mean, please. That's not alright.
> 
> Kudos are so very appreciated!


	8. Chapter 7: Empty City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the city of darkness, there are those who fear the sun's rays and those who wish to bask in its radiance. But there are also those who wish to snuff it out entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There really was no excuse for how long I took with this chapter. I'm glad I got it out during break before my school takes away my asynchronous days. Next time we get right back to Byleth so it'll hopefully be easier to write. Thank you for your patience and thank you for reading.  
> Thank you to Lunafox90 for helping me flesh out my ideas more. I really appreciate it.

The air was still. Despite the bright purple lights that decorated the corners of the city, setting like beads on the taller buildings, not many people were around to use the lights to guide themselves around the streets. There weren’t even people at their windows beholding such a pretty sight. Against the black of the buildings and the darkness in general, the many purple stones were like a comforting constellation. The people were hidden in their complexes, afraid to break curfew that lasted forever. 

However, a single figure was walking the streets. It was fairly cold, so they wore a cloak over their frame. They walked slowly, listening to the echo of their footsteps as their heels clicked on the glass-like floor. Occasionally, they looked up at the pitch-black ceiling of the city that trapped them, and a wave of bitterness rose within them like a flood. Swelling, creeping on the undisturbed parts of their mind and swallowing them whole. 

Silence dominated the city, even with the figure roaming about. They could hear their steps echoing, the sound bouncing off of the enclosed space with each clack of their slippers. It was likely that the locals could hear them, but they saw not a soul rise to their windows to wonder what the commotion was. 

It was unclear where exactly this figure was heading, even to them. They were a fish swimming in a small pond, exploring the explored parts of their home for the nth time. Each time was as boring as the last, but the bigger the cage, the bigger the chance was for something to happen.

Something unexpected.

Which is what the figure thought and yearned for, but no such thing happened. As they turned corner after corner, each building looked the same, rectangular and wrapped with purple stones that glittered ominously in the black, highlighting the sharp corners of the complexes. Each time their eyes caught the sight of the purple stones, the figure’s heart ached, and put their eyes to the ground, but were unable to escape the sight of the glow. 

After a while, the figure decided to walk to noticeable landmarks. The Needle Buildings whose tops ended in a spear-like point, those that nearly pierced the ceilings became their destination, one by one. This time, their steps were more defined, now that they knew where they were actually heading. As they got closer, the Needle Buildings became more daunting and large, and they began to have to tilt their head back to see all of it. 

The figure remembered clearly when the Needle Buildings were constructed. When they started to be used. They remembered telling children harshly not to go inside there; only executives were allowed in there, people who belonged there, who actually knew what they were doing. 

Despite being such a tall and large building, they could not see much through the glass doors, and stayed far enough back that the doors would not open in their presence so they would not make any more noise. There did not appear to be anyone inside, though the figure could see the lights in the windows high above. It appeared that strange machinations were being continued there once again.

The next landmark was the most brightly colored building in the city. Unlike all the others, this one was more reminiscent of an actual needle, more triangular than all the others with the most pointy and dangerous looking top. The windows showed that lights were on and all rooms were active from the first floor to the top. The purple stones were arranged to wrap around the building like thorns on a rose, and the doors were large and accessible to all who ventured near there.

But the figure did not feel like heading there. It was where they’d come from, after all, and after leaving that place for the first time in who-knows-how-long, going back voluntarily would be more boring than roaming around the city. So they took to gazing at the detestable, beautiful construction, drawn to its brightness. They imagined that if anyone were looking out of their window right about now, they would also be drawn to the brightest thing in the city. The figure was beginning to get a headache looking at it. 

Until a sudden noise ruptured any focus they had on their pain.

Their body stilled at the crisp sound of echoing footsteps. Their heart pounded in their chest and they gulped as they tried to pinpoint the location. Wherever they were getting closer to the figure. Their headache and attempt to be subtle forgotten, the figure broke into an awkward yet desperate run to the opposite direction. 

The purple lights became thin glowing lines as they ran, and although at this point in their life, they knew every inch of the city, they had no idea where to run and prayed that they wouldn’t run into a dead-end.

Their blood pounded in their ears as they sprinted. Their cloak was a burden; it would flap and make a scene as they ran behind corners trying to escape the other person on the streets. At one point, the figure stopped to catch their breath in a dark and narrow alley between two buildings. As they heaved for breath, they hugged their cloak closer around themselves, hoping to camouflage into the protective darkness.

Their heart was racing abnormally fast. The figure was skinny for their age, and not used to physical exertion like this. As their breathing eventually slowed, they listened for the sound of those footsteps, and darted their eyes around to the windows of the complexes to see if anyone had peeked out to see what was happening.

But silence dominated the area once again. The figure heard not a breath, heard no footsteps. Sighing in utter relief, they relaxed, and after taking a quick look around the scene once again, they stepped out from the alleyway and walked further down the path they were running in the direction of. 

The figure sucked in a gasp as they were suddenly grabbed by their arm in a tight grip. A hand clasped over their mouth, effectively silencing them. The figure’s heart began to pick up speed again, and they breathed heavily through their nose, eyes widened. 

When the hands released, the figure whipped around at their attacker, glaring heatedly at them. But their heart stopped when they realized who it was. Their face was partially hidden by the darkness, but having the purple stones glow reflect off of their face made it all the more fitting for this man. 

“Having a fun stroll? Your running most likely awoke everyone and their mother.” A smile crept up to his face, and at any other time, the figure would have been slightly relieved at his grin and the crinkling of his eyes. “Speaking of,” the man continued, his voice dropping an octave, almost dangerously, “yours is looking for you.”

The figure bit their lip, and tugged their hood further to hide it from the man’s sight. Their heart had begun to race once again, and fear forced their body to tremble. When they didn’t respond, the man took a step forward, and the entirety of his face was revealed. Years of furrowing his brow and frowning had worn into his neutral expression completely, creating wrinkles and a strong jaw. His hair was stark white and jutted from around his face. There were dark circles around his eyes, highlighting the empty white depths that were his eyeballs. 

“Why are you in the city in the first place?” He did not give a second chance to answer. “Thinking about your daughter?” As their heart dropped at that sentence, they could see the smile on this man’s face grow wider, and the last two words were practically dripping with honey. Was he trying to reassure her? “There is no need to worry. The burial is complete.”

Any feelings or worries the figure had were exponentially increased by the mention of her. They wanted to ask questions, desperately, but if they opened their mouth, it would mean that they would have to give in. They would have to go back and they didn’t want to do that yet.

“Or perhaps…” Though his voice held no venom or any meaning of harm, the man didn’t realize that the figure wasn’t in the damn mood to hear his theories on why they were away from their home. “Are you wondering what it’s like? Up there?”

The grip on the hood loosened. Slowly, they released it and let their hands drop to their sides. They stood up straight and looked at the taller man straight in his eyes and shook their head fiercely. A new wave of bitterness swelled within them. Though, this one made their lips tremble more than the rest of their body, for that wave was mixed with thick grief. Memories they didn’t want to recall were appearing again. 

_“Mother, you won’t believe what I saw! There-there were birds, it was so- so bright. That big spiky thing in the sky, the sun-- it hurt my eyes!”_

_“You won’t have to worry, Sitri. It’s just a peek outside, and then we’ll come right back in. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”_

Excitement boiling over in a little body that wasn’t allowed to feel before. Love that had been extinguished like the sun, love that had never been felt before. It had all rotted away, been pushed down, condensed, fermented into the thickest wave of bitterness that would become bile and, at times, force them to run to the nearest hole as it erupted from their throat. It would become tears, and spill out of their eyes.

The figure almost retched at the memory. But they wouldn’t empty their guts in front of the man before them. Not this man. Not anyone. 

“No.” The figure finally spoke, their voice crackling like crumpled paper from hours of no use. “I don’t want to go up there. I will fear for my life if I go up there.” Emboldened, they looked up at the pale man in front of them and glared to the best of their ability, furrowing their brow as hard as it went. “But you know that. And you sent my daughter up there.” They spat.

They threw down their hood in rage and continued. “You sent my daughter up there, with no hope of getting back home by herself, right into Faerghus’ hands!!” They roared, their body shaking with repressed anger and grief, completely forgoing any sense of subtlety. The man didn’t even flinch. His smile did not waver. Instead, he extended a gloved hand. After a little bit, after moments of hearing heaved, angered breathing, he murmured. “It’s time to come back home, Lady Sitri.”

Sitri did not notice the hand. Nor did she attempt to deny that the name he called her was hers. She continued to glower at the man in front of her. “Why?” She hissed venomously, baring her teeth to match. “I’m taking a walk. I don’t want to be near my mother right now.”

“Come now, my Lady, your mother loves you.” He cooed at her as if he was speaking to a petulant child. “Your mother loves her granddaughter. Obviously, this was planned by her and if you come back now, she’ll explain everything.”

The porcelain-skinned woman stepped closer. “She couldn’t explain it to me before she took her from me?!” She cried. “I’ve tolerated many things. I’ve tolerated too many things that my mother has done to my daughter and I’ve stayed silent for far too long.”

He held up his hands in surrender, as if to absolve himself of any wrongdoing. “Peace be to you, Lady Sitri. The Fell Star is safe, rest assured.” When faced with Sitri’s raised eyebrow, he chuckled lowly and continued. “As I said before. If you return home, Lady Rhea will answer all of your questions.” And Sitri believed that about as much as she believed in ghosts. Whether they were benevolent or hostile, did not matter.

But, in the end, she ended up trailing sulkily behind the pale man as he walked her back to the brightest Needle Building. She kept her hood up in case someone dared to peek their head out and spot her, although at this point it really didn’t matter since they were with this man.

“Thales,” she croaked, “will I ever see my daughter again?”

He did not respond immediately, and with every second of silence, Sitri’s heart dropped lower and lower. Until, “We can only hope.”

His voice was dry and completely devoid of any deceit, or his know-it-all tone, and Sitri could only swallow in dread. She imagined that that nonsense he spouted earlier was something he'd been told to say. She did not speak again and decided to focus on the clacking of their shoes on the floor, as well as the increasing brightness of the Needle Building’s radiance reflecting off of it. It helped to take the nausea away. Soon, Sitri stood in front of her home. 

Face-to-face with the glass doors, Thales stopped and turned around, smiling thinly at the cloaked woman, and held out his hand. Sitri unclasped her cloak and slipped out of it, releasing her basil-colored locks that cascaded onto her bare shoulders, covering what her black dress couldn’t. Glaring at him, Sitri all but shoved the cloak into his hands and pushed the glass door open, ignoring the pale-skinned people who bowed in her presence.

Sitri strode into a brightly lit room, training her eyes on the circular indentation on the ground. It was a platform, outlined by gold, and the inside sported the Agarthan symbol. Sitri stopped on the middle of the symbol, waiting for Thales. It seemed that his smile was sewn onto his face, as he had not dropped it for as long as the green haired woman had seen him today.

When Thales stepped beside her, the circular pattern began to glow purple under their feet. When it glowed, Sitri briefly swallowed her fear and tilted her neck back, looking up at the black ceiling. But as soon as she blinked, the color of the ceiling changed, and was a deep, dark purple. She tilted her head back down and began to walk to the door in front of her, albeit much slower this time. 

The room around them was decorated heavily with glowing purple stones, some of which would transition from dark to bright in the span of a few seconds. Most of them were concentrated around the perimeter of the large circular room. The dimly lit area brought a solemn mood to the floor, but at that moment, all Sitri could feel was fear. 

When the door leading to yet another darkened hallway was opened, the dark haired woman could feel her hands tremble, and even when she placed them in front of her navel, she could feel all ten of her fingers tremble and twitch, every skin cell in her fingers seemed to be alive and jumping. 

Telling her to turn around and run as fast as she could.

Obviously, that was impossible with the narrow hallway and with Thales directly behind her, no doubt watching her every move. But with every step forward, it seemed like her very bones were rattling, as if her skeleton were threatening to leave her body and escape itself.

Suddenly, Thales spoke. “Lady Sitri, you’re trembling,” he noted, his voice tinged with concern, “perhaps your walk has tired you?” However, she shook her head, almost feverishly and muttered in the empty hallway, “Best to just get it over with.” She could rest later.

After what felt like several minutes of silent walking, Sitri quickly noticed that the space was becoming nearly pitch black. It was like sinking into darkness. Even when her eyes adjusted, she could barely see her hands in front of her, pale as they were. There were two reasons that her fear did not grow from this. One, she could still feel that Thales was behind her, and he acted as a grounder. Two, this was the city of black light. Above all, there would always be either darkness or artificial light.

And getting closer to her meant that you would have to expect the former, everywhere and all the time. 

Somehow, in that place of pitch-black, Sitri stopped and turned to the left, knowing instantly that she was standing in front of doors. She could hear Thales’ clothes rustling, most likely moving to open the door for her, but Sitri stuck her hands in front of her and pushed on the double doors, squinting her eyes as white light seared her retinas that were used to the dark.

There, they both laid eyes on a single silhouette. It stood confidently in front of a massive window, tall enough to touch the ceiling and floor, and wide enough to reach both walls. On the other side of that window, a starry map of several thousand purple gems were sparkling in the city of Shambhala below. The buildings, which towered over Sitri minutes ago, now looked small enough for her to completely envelop in her fist. Otherwise, the room around the window was dark, and Sitri could only see their silhouettes as well, but she could make out a desk and a large bookshelf. 

“Sitri.” a voice that dripped like melted sugar wafted over to Sitri’s ears, making her stiffen and shudder slightly as if someone had dragged ice down her spine. It came from the silhouette. She could hear Thales’ breathing hitch beside her. “You look absolutely exhausted, my love.” The silhouette observed without looking behind her. 

The basil haired woman couldn’t find it in herself to reply. Or even make a sound. All the things she wanted to say… all the things she wanted to ask… they were all swallowed with the lump of terror that became lodged in her throat. It was then that she noticed with horror- the room was freezing, much too cold for her bare-shouldered dress.

But that wasn’t why she was shivering. 

The woman at the window continued, uncaring of the other woman’s discomfort. “And here I thought I told you to stay in your room until you were in a better headspace.” Though any other person listening would call her tone playfully chiding, Sitri could tell that this woman, her mother… was furious. All that sugar had frozen over.

“Perhaps, in Byleth’s absence, you hoped to act out against your mother more that she wouldn’t follow in your footsteps.” The woman’s shoulders lifted and lowered dramatically with her long and hard sigh. “It seems admirable on the surface, but I would say that it is a product of your own selfishness, nothing more.”

“Lady Rhea, i-if I may…” Thales croaked, then quickly coughed into his hand to steady his voice. The silhouette made no further movement, and therefore the man stepped in front of Sitri, as if he meant to defend her. “Your daughter returned home willingly. I can assure you that she meant no harm and only desired for fresh air…” His voice was meek.

Meanwhile, Sitri looked to the ceiling and sucked in a deep breath through her nose, focusing on the way her lungs expanded and contracted with every inhale and exhale. She stopped listening to the conversation and devoted her attention to calming herself down completely. Fortunately for her, she didn’t miss out on much. When her mind zeroed back in on her mother, she did not yet reply to Thales, or moved even slightly. For what seemed like forever, the partially-lit room was thick with uneasy silence.

“Thales, Sitri,” her mother called, turning her head slightly to them, revealing her sharp green eye, “what do you think of Shambhala?”

Sitri could not stop the “huh” from escaping as she registered the strange question. Thales also had no answer for her, shaking his head. “I… I am not sure what you mean by this, my Lady.”

Rhea lifted a hand and placed it on the window, turning her head even further, illuminating her smooth mint hair, fair white skin and cat-like eyes. It seems that she did not put on any sort of makeup today, yet Sitri’s mother was strikingly beautiful without it. Her lips were full and calm, yet those eyes… those eyes were so cold and searching. “Our city is beautiful, is it not? The innovation, the silence, the persistence…” The last word was slightly emphasized. “In lieu of the sun, we’ve used the Dark Stones as our means of light. But even then, we don’t need them to see. We don’t need the outside’s light to survive.”

The top of Sitri’s right eye began to pulsate with pain, and she instinctively squinted her eyes. She remembered someone who would have argued against her mother immediately. _The sun is beautiful!_ they would have yelled. _What kind of idiot could ever think that we don’t need the sun?_

“But,” Rhea continued, giving no reaction to Sitri’s change in expression. “I want to hear your thoughts. What do you think of Shambhala? … Be honest.”

Sitri heard Thales swallow and scratch his beard, then speak. “It is… it is a beautiful city, my Lady,” he started steadily, now smoothing out his beard. “I’m extremely proud of our city and its people.”

Rhea eyed him for a couple of moments, then directed her eyes right at her daughter, who flinched at the attention. “What about you, Sitri?” Instantly, she got a response. “It’s a lovely city, Mother.” Sitri replied tightly. If she heard the nature of her tone, Rhea gave no attention to it.

Instead, the green-haired woman turned, almost rotated back to the window. “I’m pleased to hear that. Yes… yes, it’s such a beautiful place to live. A wonderful place to call home.” Then, her arm dropped to her side. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone saw the way we do? Not just everyone who lives here, but even the people up there, who bask in the false light? That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?”

“That would be incredible, Mother, yes.” Sitri agreed, devoid of any excitement.

It was then that Rhea turned back to the two fully, her eyes sharper than any blade or any Needle Building. “This is my task. I will unleash this wonderful darkness upon the world. No longer will they be afraid of the dark, no longer will my beloved citizens fear the light again.” Her voice gradually rose in intensity and volume, and she purposefully strode towards her two visitors. 

Sitri’s attempt to remain calm collapsed as the room’s temperature plummeted and skyrocketed at the same time, allowing her face to twist in terror as her mother walked far too quickly and far too close to her. Each footstep sounded heavy and threatening, and the Sitri felt an overwhelming need to run. The desire to escape was rising much too quickly. Rhea’s eyes were burning an emerald flame around her cat-like pupils. 

“This is my task. This is my task, and yet you worry me like this, Sitri. You cannot worry me like this!” Rhea’s hands slammed onto her daughter’s bare shoulders, who winced at the chill of them. “Your disobeying me is a distraction, child. What I work towards is ‘incredible’, you say! And yet you distract me from it! When I am so close!!!” Sitri gulped as her mother became more and more deranged with every word. She felt her nails dig into her shoulder and gasped in pain. 

“Mother, you’re hurting me…!” Sitri cried out, writhing under her mother’s wrath. But this seemed to fuel the fire of Rhea’s wrath, and the basil-haired woman’s ears rang as she roared angrily, shaking her daughter’s shoulders violently. “You are hurting me, child!!! How could you do this to me? How long have I been working towards this goal!! Look back into your memories!! How long have I been talking to you about this?! How long? How long?!”

Through her blurred vision, Sitri could barely make out Thales, who had at some point attempted to pull Rhea’s arms from Sitri’s shoulders. But her grip was unyielding, like a vice. Sitri wanted to look at the ceiling again and try to breathe. But every breath was being forced out of her as she was shaken back and forth.

Suddenly, both Sitri and Thales were thrown in different directions, and the former landed on the floor, hip first. She glanced up at her mother, whose chest was heaving and hands hovering on her side, fingers spread out like a hawk diving in for the kill. Rhea’s eyes were unhinged and her mouth was gaping wide. Sitri shook her head and looked back at the floor, trembling. Focusing on her breathing seemed too dangerous to do now, but she felt in danger without it.

“My daughter…” Rhea started, voice beginning to break. “I do this because I love you. I-I love you; you cannot leave my protection like you did… you cannot leave me alone…” The heartbreak in her mother’s voice caused Sitri to rise to her knees and embrace her mother’s waist, burying her face into her stomach. Guilt was eating away at her insides as Rhea began to sob uncontrollably, sucking in breaths like she was. “Mother, I’m… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for worrying you, I…” 

_I just miss Byleth so much._ Even remembering her name was cause for tears to pool in Sitri’s eyes and soak into her mother’s dress. She held on tighter and breathed in the comforting floral scent of her mother, the mother that she loved so dearly. She felt Rhea’s cool hand soothe the heat on her head as she cried into her mother.

The memory of her daughter forced the dam of Sitri’s sorrow open, and she let out a wail from the bottom of her stomach. Rhea knelt down and held her daughter’s head, wrapping her arms around it while she cried. Remorse kept gnawing at Sitri’s gut. Why did she put her own mother what she was going through? No child should be separated so violently from their mother, no mother should have to worry themselves sick over whether their baby would come home, alive and well. 

But the bitterness in her yelled for retribution against her mother. An eye for an eye. Sitri felt that time and time again, that awful entity kept winning over every other conscience in her small body, picking apart her health and soul until she had nothing left. 

At some point, Sitri’s sobs had softened into whimpers, and she hugged her mother close, relishing in her warmth and safety. But she could strangely feel herself becoming dizzier. She wondered why the purple lights of the city below were starting to invade her vision. 

“Mother…” Sitri’s voice cracked in the silence after the both of them shed their sadness. Her face still felt hot as she looked up at her green haired mother, whose eyes were also swollen. “Please… why did you send Byleth away? Why so far away from home?” 

Rhea’s eyes had softened compared to the beast-like person she was a few minutes ago. Her pupils were much more round, like a human instead of a cat or a snake. However, the despair and regret remained on her face, and it deepened as she frowned. “I told you before, Sitri,” Rhea cooed, her voice smooth despite the loud sobs she was uttering before, “our plans nine years ago failed. In order to deal a decisive blow to the Three Gems, Byleth had to be right under their noses.” 

As she finished her explanation, a smile crept onto Rhea’s lips, thin and conniving. A deep seated hatred was swirling in her green eyes again, and she cupped her daughters cheeks, bringing her closer to her face. Sitri blinked repeatedly as purple kept slinking its way into her vision. “Right under his nose. That damned, blue bastard. Just you wait, Sitri… I’ll have my revenge… and we will have our Byleth back.”

Sitri couldn’t fathom what her mother meant by that. She was completely at her mercy, and could only place her hands over Rhea’s and look for any sort of comfort in those eyes. “Okay… okay, mother… I trust you… I just want my baby back safe…” She croaked tiredly. Sitri was pressed against Rhea’s chest, warm and secure. “There is no doubt that we’ll see her again, pristine as when she left, my daughter.” She soothed, stroking Sitri’s hair.

Sitri shut her eyes and felt as though she was sinking. Sinking, further, further into unconsciousness. The energy it took to stand, to speak, to pretend dissipated like steam, and all she felt was exhaustion. In the back of her mind, she thought she could hear pulsing, and at the edges of her vision, she could have sworn that she saw purple…

\---------------------------------------

It seemed that Sitri had fallen asleep in Rhea’s arms. Twirling a purplish-black shard in her other hand, Rhea chuckled quietly and patted her sweet daughter’s head before picking her up and standing. Rhea didn’t need to look to the side to know that Thales was still conscious and watching closely. “Thales. Take her back to her room. Then, summon Solon. I must know the progress on the Shards.”

“Of course, Lady Rhea.” He muttered, quickly taking the sleeping child from Rhea’s arms and leaving the room, leaving the double door standing wide open. 

Alone in her office, the tall green haired woman turned back to the window, walking close enough to touch the glass. She admired the view of her beloved city below, taking in every light, every corner of the masterpiece she had a hand in crafting. Every building had a story, every shard of light a tale, and Rhea remembered every single one with a warm fondness in her heart.

But then her heart would clench with an enraged hunger. Because it wasn’t enough. This would never be enough. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t. Enough.

She felt her nails extend into claws, and dragged them against the window, paying no mind to the uncomfortable feeling in her fingers or the piercing shriek of the glass as her nails left unsightly white streaks against the window. She heard the black stone in her other hand splinter and crack as she gripped it.

But Rhea was smiling. Through her rage, a smile was plastered on her face, even if it could only be described as malicious. She almost felt like laughing. Because it would soon be enough. And it would be one step closer to being enough with that blue bastard’s death.

**Author's Note:**

> Reach out to me on Discord, IdioticAscent#9887! Hope you enjoy.


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